Idiom
Touch base
To touch base means to make brief contact with someone to share news or check how things are going.
How people use it
This is everyday workplace language, especially in American English. You might touch base with a client, a teammate or a friend you have not talked to in a while. It suggests a short call, message or meeting, not a long discussion. The usual patterns are "touch base with someone" and "touch base about something," as in "Let's touch base next week." Some people find it tired office jargon, so it fits casual and business talk better than formal writing. It does not mean meeting in person; a quick text can count.
Also said: touch base with someone.
Examples
- Let's touch base on Friday to see how the move is going.
- I just wanted to touch base with you about the science fair.
- Omar touches base with his parents every Sunday evening.
Where it comes from
The phrase comes from baseball, where a runner has to touch each base to stay safe or to score. The idea of quickly making contact before moving on became a handy picture for checking in with someone. The figurative sense appeared in American English around the middle of the 1900s and spread widely through business speech in the decades that followed.
Check yourself
1. Your manager says, "Let's touch base tomorrow." What does she want?
Answer: A short check-in conversation. Touch base means making brief contact to share updates.
2. Which sentence uses the idiom correctly?
Answer: I'll touch base with the plumber to confirm the time.. You touch base with a person to check in, usually briefly.
Similar idioms
Word game fan? See every word hiding in BASE.