Business English Expressions

When something unfortunate happens, it can be called a "tough break."

It was a tough break for us when Caroline quit. She was one of our top performers.

To be "ahead of the curve" means to be more advanced than the competition.
We're investing a lot of money in research and development so we can stay ahead of the curve.

To be "ahead of the pack" means to be better or more successful than the competition.

If we want to stay ahead of the pack, we're going to have to work hard and continue to innovate.

"At stake" means at risk.
I'm a little nervous about giving this presentation. There's a lot at stake.

To go "back to square one" means to start something over again.
Our team identified a problem with the software. It turns out that the problem is something different. We're back to square one.