Hey there! 👋
Have you ever been talking with colleagues, networking at an event, or reading professional emails and come across phrases like “Press the flesh” or “burn bridges” and thought, “What does that really mean?” You’re definitely not alone.
These Relationship and Networking Idioms appear constantly in workplace conversations about teamwork, trust, collaboration, and professional connections. Once you understand them, communication becomes clearer, misunderstandings disappear, and you start sounding more confident and natural in business and social situations.
That’s exactly why I’ve created this hub page for Understanding Relationship and Networking Idioms. It brings together the idioms my students ask about most. Each idiom includes a clear, simple explanation, a realistic workplace example, and practical guidance to help you recognise and use it correctly.
You can use this page as a reference, explore the categories below, and return to it whenever you want to strengthen your networking and relationship-building language in English.
Teacher Rob 🙋♂️
Understanding Relationship and Networking Idioms (20 Examples)
Starting Connections and Being Visible
1. 👉 Put Yourself Out There (v)
Meaning: Make an effort to meet people or be noticed.
Example: To grow her career, she put herself out there.
2. 👉 Get Your Name Out There (v)
Meaning: Make people aware of you or your work.
Example: He shared his work online to get his name out there.
3. 👉 Reach Out (v)
Meaning: Contact someone first.
Example: She reached out to a potential client.
4. 👉 Get a Foot in the Door (v)
Meaning: Get a small first opportunity.
Example: The internship helped him get a foot in the door.
5. 👉 Break the Ice (v)
Meaning: Start a friendly conversation.
Example: A simple question helped break the ice.
Active Networking and Social Skills
6. 👉 Plant the Seed (v)
Meaning: Introduce an idea gently.
Example: He planted the seed for future teamwork.
7. 👉 Build Bridges (v)
Meaning: Improve relationships.
Example: The manager worked to build bridges between teams.
8. 👉 Work the Room (v)
Meaning: Talk to many people at an event.
Example: She worked the room at the conference.
9. 👉 Schmooze (v)
Meaning: Talk in a friendly way to build advantage.
Example: He schmoozed with industry leaders.
10. 👉 Rub Elbows With (v)
Meaning: Spend time with important people.
Example: She rubbed elbows with senior executives.
Cautious Steps and Relationship Repair
11. 👉 Dip Your Toe in the Water (v)
Meaning: Try something carefully.
Example: They dipped their toe in the water with a small deal.
12. 👉 Patch Things Up (v)
Meaning: Fix a damaged relationship.
Example: The partners met to patch things up.
13. 👉 Extend an Olive Branch (v)
Meaning: Offer peace or compromise.
Example: He extended an olive branch after the argument.
14. 👉 Bury the Hatchet (v)
Meaning: End a conflict.
Example: They buried the hatchet and moved on.
15. 👉 Turn Over a New Leaf (v)
Meaning: Make a fresh start.
Example: The team turned over a new leaf.
🔹 Group 4: Long-Term Commitment and Relationship Outcomes
16. 👉 Weather the Storm (v)
Meaning: Survive a difficult time.
Example: The company weathered the storm.
17. 👉 In It for the Long Haul (phr)
Meaning: Committed long term.
Example: She is in it for the long haul.
18. 👉 Burn Your Bridges (v)
Meaning: Damage relationships permanently.
Example: He burned his bridges by quitting suddenly.
19. 👉 Throw in the Towel (v)
Meaning: Give up.
Example: After many failures, he threw in the towel.
20. 👉 Press the Flesh (v)
Meaning: Meet people face to face.
Example: The CEO pressed the flesh at the event.
There you go – a practical collection of Relationship and Networking Idioms you can start recognising and using right away.
You’ll soon notice these idioms in conversations with colleagues, networking events, professional emails, and even LinkedIn posts – and now you’ll understand exactly what they mean and how to use them naturally.
Which one stood out to you the most? My personal favourite is “build bridges” because it’s perfect for talking about trust, cooperation, and long-term professional relationships. Let me know your favourite in the comments below. I always enjoy hearing from you.
Want to keep learning? Explore our other idiom guides covering communication, teamwork, leadership, and career development.
Happy learning,
Teacher Rob 🙋♂️
Need help learning the idioms?
Check out my 👉 Best Way to Learn Idioms Quickly page.
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We hope you enjoyed Understanding Relationship & Networking Idioms.
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