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'Circle back', 'touch base', and 'leverage' have survived years of workplace mockery, but modern dynamics have brought in a new generation of corporate buzzwords. Let's take a closer look!
Some things in the workplace never seem to go away.
The Monday morning meeting. The email marked “urgent”. And, in some cases, the promise to “circle back”.
Corporate jargon has been circling offices for years, with phrases such as “touch base”, “low-hanging fruit”, and “think outside the box” becoming staples of office conversations.
Yet the language of work has continued to evolve.
In 2026, employees are not only being asked to “align” and “leverage” resources. They may also be expected to become “AI-native”, work alongside “agentic AI”, and more.
Recent research from ICAEW suggests that some of the old favourites that we thought were still going strong, like “going forward”, “plan of action”, “synergy”, and “let's park that”, are actually among some of the phrases that many employees could do without.
From old favourites that have stood the test of time to newer terms shaped by the rise of AI, here are some of the phrases defining, and occasionally complicating, workplace conversations in 2026.
The classics that refuse to die
“Let’s circle back”
What it means: Let's discuss this later.
“Let’s touch base”
What it means: Let's talk.
“I’ll revert”
What it means: I'll get back to you.
“Do you have the bandwidth for this?”
What it means: Do you have capacity?
"Let's take this offline"
What it means: Let's discuss this separately.
“Let's double-click on that”
What it means: Let's examine that in more detail.
“Let's land this”
What it means: Let's finish or decide on this.
“Let's close the loop”
What it means: Let's finish this / follow up.
“This is low-hanging fruit”
What it means: This is an easy opportunity.
“We need to move the needle”
What it means: We need to make a meaningful difference.
Meet the new kids on the jargon block
“Job hugging”
What it means: Holding tightly onto your current job because the job market feels uncertain.
“Workcation”
What it means: Working remotely while temporarily living somewhere that feels more like a holiday destination.
“Bleisure”
What it means: Combining a business trip with leisure time.
“Decision fatigue”
What it means: Becoming mentally drained from making too many decisions.
“AI fatigue”
What it means: Feeling overwhelmed or exhausted by the constant pressure to use, learn, or keep up with AI.
“Agentic AI”
What it means: AI that can take actions and complete tasks more independently, rather than simply responding to prompts.
“Coffee-badging”
What it means: Showing up at the office just long enough to be seen, grab a coffee and head back home.
“Work spouse”
What it means: The colleague you spend so much time with that you basically become an unofficial workplace duo.
“Sunday scaries”
What it means: That creeping feeling of dread when the weekend starts running out.
And my personal favourite: “Fri-yay!”
What it means: The universal celebration that Friday has arrived.
Corporate jargon is unlikely to disappear anytime soon. Some phrases become so familiar that we barely notice them, while others arrive with the latest workplace trend and quickly find their way into meetings, emails and LinkedIn posts.
As the workplace continues to evolve from hybrid working to AI and everything in between, the language we use will evolve with it. The challenge, perhaps, is knowing when a new term adds meaning and when it is just another way of saying something we already know.
So, before you “double-click”, “level-set”, or “action” your next task, remember: sometimes, plain, good ol' English gets the job done just fine.
READ MORE: Corporate lingo ick: How to communicate with Gen Z at work
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