Bite off more than you can chew

How it is used

Informal advice about overcommitment. It refers to what someone accepts, not simply to a heavy workload assigned by others.

Example sentences

1. Do not bite off more than you can chew by promising to manage both launches alone.

   The warning concerns accepting two responsibilities without enough capacity.

2. If you bite off more than you can chew, discuss priorities before missing every deadline.

   Early reprioritization may limit the consequences of overcommitment.

Common collocations

• be careful not to bite off more than you can chew
• avoid biting off more than you can chew

Related terms

• bandwidthIn office talk, the time, energy or capacity that a person or team has available to take on more work.
• workloadThe amount of work that a person or a team has to do in a given period of time.

More terms: Office Idioms and Phrases

• touch base
• heads-up
• on the same page
• keep me posted
• ballpark figure
• circle back
• low-hanging fruit
• get the ball rolling
• back to the drawing board
• drop the ball
• on my radar
• up to speed