touch base

Meaning

This business idiom means to briefly make contact or connect with someone to update them, check on progress, or discuss a topic. It is widely used in corporate and professional environments, usually for quick meetings, emails, or phone calls. Despite being business jargon, its register is casual and friendly.

Examples

• Let's touch base next week to discuss the progress of the marketing campaign.

  Let's touch base next week to discuss the progress of the marketing campaign.

• I just wanted to touch base and see if you received the contract I sent.

  I just wanted to touch base and see if you received the contract I sent.

• We should touch base with the design team before we finalize the layout.

  We should touch base with the design team before we finalize the layout.

• I'll touch base with you after my meeting with the client.

  I'll touch base with you after my meeting with the client.

• They touched base briefly at the conference but didn't have time for a full meeting.

  They touched base briefly at the conference but didn't have time for a full meeting.

Common Mistakes

• ✗ We need to touch bases tomorrow.

  ✓ We need to touch base tomorrow.

  The idiom uses the singular 'base', not the plural 'bases', even if you are contacting multiple people.

• ✗ I will touch base to you about the project.

  ✓ I will touch base with you about the project.

  The correct preposition to connect with a person is 'with'. You touch base *with* someone, not *to* someone.

Related Expressions

Practice

• I will ___ with you on Monday to confirm the details of our meeting.

  💡 Briefly connect or contact

  Show answer

  touch base

• We don't need a long meeting; let's just ___ for five minutes.

  💡 Quickly check in

  Show answer

  touch base