Okuzeka
Business English vocabulary · Deadlines and Scheduling

Hard stop

Meaning in business english, with examples

nounCommon term

In business english, hard stop means: A fixed time at which a meeting or activity must end.

In Turkish: kesin bitiş saati

How it is used

Common in spoken workplace scheduling. State the actual time at the start, particularly if you must leave while other participants may continue.

Example sentences

  1. I have a hard stop at eleven because I need to join the supplier's safety briefing.

    The limit concerns this participant's availability, not the deadline for completing the project.

  2. With a hard stop in ten minutes, the chair moved directly to the decision that required a vote.

    A fixed ending time changes the order of discussion to protect the essential decision.

Common collocations

  • have a hard stop
  • announce a hard stop
  • deadlineThe latest date or time by which a piece of work must be finished, sent or delivered.
  • wrap upTo finish a meeting, discussion or piece of work, usually by summarizing the main points and agreeing on the next steps.

More terms: Deadlines and Scheduling

Practise with graded reading

Reading at the right level is the fastest way to make new words stick. Pick free English books by level: