100 Phrases to Stop Saying at Work

No.	Term	Definition
1.	Absolutely	Overpromises; use specific commitment.
2.	Action items	Jargon; say tasks and owners.
3.	Actually	Sounds corrective; can seem dismissive.
4.	Agile	Buzzword; name the method used.
5.	All hands	Jargon; say company-wide meeting.
6.	Anyways	Informal; use anyway.
7.	ASAP	Vague urgency; give a deadline.
8.	At the end of the day	Cliché; state your conclusion.
9.	Backburner	Cliché; say deprioritize.
10.	Bandwidth	Metaphor; say capacity or time.
11.	Best practice	Vague; cite the practice and source.
12.	Bleeding edge	Hype; describe maturity and risk.
13.	Boil the ocean	Cliché; define a smaller scope.
14.	Bottom line	Cliché; state the key point.
15.	Brainstorm	Generic; specify ideation session goal.
16.	Circle back	Cliché; say follow up when.
17.	Close the loop	Jargon; say confirm resolution.
18.	CYA	Slang; sounds distrustful.
19.	Deep dive	Cliché; specify what you’ll review.
20.	Disrupt	Hype; explain the concrete change.
21.	Do more with less	Demoralizing; discuss priorities and tradeoffs.
22.	Drill down	Cliché; say examine details.
23.	EOD	Ambiguous; state date and time.
24.	ETA	Overused; ask for a specific time.
25.	Fast track	Vague; define steps you’ll skip.
26.	Feedback	Broad; specify what you need.
27.	Fingers crossed	Uncertain; state your plan.
28.	FYI	Can sound curt; add context.
29.	Game changer	Hype; explain measurable impact.
30.	Get alignment	Jargon; say agree on decision.
31.	Going forward	Filler; state the next step.
32.	Granular	Buzzword; say detailed.
33.	Heads up	Vague; state the issue directly.
34.	High level	Vague; define scope or depth.
35.	Hope this helps	Can sound dismissive; offer next action.
36.	Hot take	Informal; state your opinion plainly.
37.	Hyperlocal	Buzzword; specify the location.
38.	I feel like	Hedges; state your view clearly.
39.	I think	Hedges; state confidence level.
40.	In my humble opinion	Cliché; state your opinion.
41.	In the weeds	Cliché; describe the details.
42.	Incentivize	Jargon; say motivate or reward.
43.	It is what it is	Defeatist; state constraints and options.
44.	Just	Minimizes; remove unless necessary.
45.	Just checking in	Vague; state what you need.
46.	Just to confirm	Filler; ask the question directly.
47.	Just wanted to	Filler; state purpose directly.
48.	Kinda	Informal hedge; be precise.
49.	KPI	Acronym; name the metric.
50.	Lean in	Cliché; say engage or participate.
51.	Level set	Jargon; state shared understanding.
52.	Leverage	Buzzword; say use.
53.	Low-hanging fruit	Cliché; list easy wins.
54.	Make it pop	Vague; specify desired change.
55.	Move the needle	Cliché; define the outcome metric.
56.	Net-net	Jargon; state the summary.
57.	Next steps	Vague; list actions and dates.
58.	No worries	Too casual; acknowledge and proceed.
59.	Noted	Can seem cold; confirm action.
60.	Obviously	Condescending; remove.
61.	Off the record	Risky; avoid in workplace.
62.	On the same page	Cliché; confirm agreement details.
63.	Operationalize	Jargon; say implement.
64.	Out of pocket	Ambiguous; say unavailable when.
65.	Pain point	Jargon; describe the problem.
66.	Paradigm shift	Hype; describe the change.
67.	Per my last email	Passive-aggressive; restate request politely.
68.	Ping me	Jargon; say message or call.
69.	Pivot	Buzzword; describe the new direction.
70.	Proactive	Overused; state the action taken.
71.	Pushback	Loaded; say concerns or objections.
72.	Put a pin in it	Cliché; schedule revisit time.
73.	Q1	Ambiguous; include dates.
74.	Quick win	Vague; define benefit and effort.
75.	Reach out	Cliché; say contact.
76.	Real quick	Minimizes; give expected time.
77.	Respectfully	Often signals conflict; be direct, polite.
78.	Right-sizing	Euphemism; say layoffs or restructure.
79.	Rockstar	Exclusionary; describe skills needed.
80.	Run it up the flagpole	Cliché; say seek approval.
81.	Scalable	Vague; specify scale target.
82.	Seamless	Overpromise; describe user experience.
83.	Synergy	Buzzword; explain combined benefit.
84.	Take this offline	Can shut down; propose time/channel.
85.	Team player	Vague; describe expected behaviors.
86.	Thought leader	Self-promotional; cite expertise area.
87.	Touch base	Cliché; say meet or call.
88.	Transparency	Vague; specify what you’ll share.
89.	Try and	Nonstandard; use try to.
90.	Unpack	Jargon; say explain.
91.	Utilize	Wordy; say use.
92.	Value-add	Jargon; state the benefit.
93.	Very	Weak intensifier; choose stronger word.
94.	We should sync	Vague; propose time and agenda.
95.	Wheelhouse	Idiomatic; say area of expertise.
96.	Win-win	Cliché; state mutual benefits.
97.	With all due respect	Often rude; state disagreement calmly.
98.	Work hard, play hard	Cliché; can imply burnout.
99.	X-factor	Vague; name the differentiator.
100.	YOLO	Unprofessional; avoid.