🗓️ Idiom: To Patch Things Up (v phrase)
💬 Meaning
- To fix a disagreement or repair a damaged relationship.
- To solve a problem between people so they can get along again.
🧠 Example Sentences
- After their argument about the project deadline, the two colleagues met privately to patch things up.
- The customer was upset, but the support agent managed to patch things up by offering a clear solution.
- HR encouraged both sides to talk openly so they could patch things up before the next meeting.
🏛️ Origin
This idiom comes from the idea of patching torn fabric by sewing a piece over the damaged area. The phrase became a way to describe repairing emotional or social “damage” between people, especially after a conflict.
📝 Practice Exercises
1. Fill in the blank:
After the disagreement, they set up a quick meeting to __________ before the client presentation.
Answer
patch things up
2. Choose the correct answer:
If two coworkers “patch things up,” they:
a) Make the conflict worse
b) Avoid speaking to each other
c) Repair their relationship
Answer
c) Repair their relationship
3. Change the sentence using “patch things up”:
“They decided to fix their disagreement before working together again.”
Answer
They decided to patch things up before working together again.
ℹ️ Other Useful Pages
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👉 Conflict and Conflict Resolution Idioms
👉 Business English Idioms List
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