Idiom Topics

  • The Ubiquitous Essentials

    10
    • On the other hand
    • At the end of the day
    • In the long run
    • Bear in mind
    • A piece of cake
    • Keep an eye on
    • Out of the blue
    • Rule of thumb
    • So far, so good
    • Behind the scenes

  • Everyday Casual & Workplace

    10
    • Under the weather
    • Call it a day
    • Up in the air
    • Wrap your head around
    • Break the ice
    • Get out of hand
    • Go the extra mile
    • Touch base
    • Hit the nail on the head
    • Cut corners

  • Problem Solving & Interaction

    10
    • See eye to eye
    • Read between the lines
    • Take it with a grain of salt
    • Get the hang of it
    • Give the benefit of the doubt
    • The elephant in the room
    • Hit the ground running
    • Play it by ear
    • Bite the bullet
    • Sit on the fence

  • Decisions & Perspectives

    9
    • Jump on the bandwagon
    • Cross that bridge when we come to it
    • The best of both worlds
    • A blessing in disguise
    • Once in a blue moon
    • Pull someone's leg
    • Miss the boat
    • Better late than never
    • Get your act together

  • Colorful & Traditional

    10
    • Spill the beans
    • Let the cat out of the bag
    • Bite off more than you can chew
    • Go back to the drawing board
    • Barking up the wrong tree
    • Actions speak louder than words
    • A penny for your thoughts
    • Break a leg
    • Hit the sack
    • Beat around the bush

  • Academic & Formal Discourse

    10
    • Bear fruit
    • Pave the way
    • Shed light on
    • Go hand in hand
    • Tip the scales
    • Fly in the face of
    • Bring to the table
    • Turn a blind eye
    • Draw a blank
    • State of the art

  • Emotions & Reactions

    10
    • Over the moon
    • Down in the dumps
    • On edge
    • Blow off steam
    • Keep your cool
    • Drive someone up the wall
    • On cloud nine
    • A weight off my shoulders
    • At your wits' end
    • Thrilled to bits

  • Effort, Success, & Failure

    10
    • Start from scratch
    • Pass with flying colors
    • Fall flat
    • Go down the drain
    • Keep your head above water
    • Pay off
    • Throw in the towel
    • Make headway
    • Uphill battle
    • Back to square one

  • Time, Speed, & Urgency

    10
    • Beat the clock
    • At the eleventh hour
    • Around the clock
    • In the nick of time
    • Drag your feet
    • Time flies
    • Make up for lost time
    • Call time on
    • Ahead of the curve
    • On the spur of the moment

  • Resources, Money, & Value

    10
    • Make ends meet
    • Foot the bill
    • Break the bank
    • Tighten your belt
    • Bang for your buck
    • A drop in the ocean
    • Make a killing
    • On a shoestring budget
    • Worth your weight in gold
    • Pay top dollar

Touch base

Learn the meaning, origin, and usage of the idiom "Touch base" with five example sentences across different contexts. This idiom is part of ourEveryday Casual & Workplace collection for PTE and IELTS preparation.

Everyday Casual & Workplace

Touch base

Touch base
To briefly contact or meet with someone to update them, check on progress, or ensure a mutual understanding.
History & Origin

This idiom originates from the American sport of baseball, where a runner must physically touch a base to be safe from being tagged out. By the early 20th century, the phrase transitioned into business and casual language to metaphorically mean checking in briefly to ensure security or consensus before moving forward. It emphasizes a short, functional interaction rather than a deep, prolonged discussion.

Examples
Workplace Email

Hi Sarah, let's touch base on Friday afternoon to review the client's feedback before we finalize the presentation.

Casual Conversation

I haven't seen you in weeks! Let's touch base over coffee this weekend and catch up on everything.

Academic Writing

Research supervisors frequently touch base with their graduate students to monitor progress and offer guidance during the thesis drafting phase.

News/Media

The Prime Minister is expected to touch base with local leaders tomorrow morning to assess the regional impact of the recent economic reforms.

Formal Speech

Before we launch the charity initiative next month, it is vital that our administrative team and the regional coordinators touch base once more.

Quiz
Which of the following sentences uses the idiom correctly?

A. After we complete the market research, we will need to touch base with the marketing team to ensure our goals align.

B. I really need to touch base my English vocabulary before I take the IELTS exam next week.

C. She was so angry that she decided to touch base her laptop onto the floor, breaking it instantly.

D. The corporate manager touch based with the international clients during the conference last night.