Skip to main content
Lesson guide & glossary

Work & Management 2 — C2 Collocations

This lesson practises 50 C2 collocations on Work & Management. Collocations are fixed word pairings that native speakers expect — Cambridge examiners test them in Use of English Part 1 and reward precise lexis in Writing. Run through the interactive drills first, then open this glossary to revise every item in the set. For question-by-question feedback, use Review mode after you finish the session.

Back to Collocations hub →

Lesson glossary (50 collocations)

  • remote access your email

    Many employees now prefer to ____ while travelling for work.

  • keen interest

    He showed a ____ in the new project.

  • create a good impression

    Arriving on time helps to ____ at the interview.

  • address a problem

    Senior staff gathered to ____ affecting production.

  • stroke of luck

    Meeting her was a real ____.

  • spring a surprise on

    The boss decided to ____ the team.

  • grab a snack

    We decided to ____ before the meeting.

  • make changes

    The manager plans to ____ to the timetable.

  • experience difficulties

    The team began to ____ early in the project.

  • a surprise on

    The boss decided to ____ the team.

  • toy with an idea

    She began to ____ about changing careers.

  • dissenting voice

    There was only one ____ during the meeting.

  • cautiously optimistic

    The team is ____ about the new project.

  • terminate a contract

    The client threatened to ____ due to repeated delays.

  • emergency meeting

    The board called an ____.

  • have the muscle to

    Few people ____ stand up to the boss.

  • take the flak

    The manager had to ____ for the team's mistake.

  • confront an issue

    The manager decided to ____ immediately.

  • cover a lot of ground

    The meeting managed to ____ in a short time.

  • heal the rift

    The meeting helped ____ between the two families.

  • adjourn a meeting

    The chairman decided to ____ until more data arrived.

  • the blame rests with

    The report stated that ____ the manager.

  • make calculations

    The accountant began to ____ before the meeting.

  • lay off staff

    The company was forced to ____ due to falling sales.

  • weighty matters

    The meeting discussed several ____.

  • rough idea

    I only have a ____ of what the project involves.

  • show an initiative

    The new employee tried to ____.

  • give an opinion

    Everyone was invited to ____ during the meeting.

  • lengthy delays

    The project suffered several ____.

  • sweat blood

    The team had to ____ to meet the deadline.

  • work as a team

    It is important to ____ on this project.

  • meet a target

    The team worked hard to ____ before the deadline.

  • concentrate the mind

    Deadlines tend to ____.

  • wining and dining

    The executive spent the evening ____.

  • approve a plan

    The board finally voted to ____.

  • relieve someone of their duties

    The manager decided to ____ immediately.

  • break a task down

    The manager helped ____ into manageable parts.

  • substantial reward

    The job offers a ____ for hard work.

  • clear your desk

    Employees were told to ____ before leaving.

  • dodge the question

    The politician tried to ____ during the interview.

  • grab a snack

    We decided to ____ before the meeting.

  • flatly reject

    The board decided to ____ the proposal.

  • poison the atmosphere

    One comment was enough to ____ during the meeting.

  • blank expression

    He maintained a ____ throughout the meeting.

  • constant struggle

    Life in the early years was a ____ for the young entrepreneur.

  • go into production

    The new model will ____ next year.

  • alleviate bottlenecks

    The new system helped ____ in production.

  • flurry of activity

    There was a sudden ____ in the office before the deadline.

  • tackle the issue

    The team met to ____ affecting production.

  • minimise a risk

    The company tried to ____ in the project.