Control
to behave in an unacceptable or offensive way; to say something you're not supposed to say
The discussion was fine until he _____ _____ ______.
cross the line / go too far
Personal insults mean you’ve gone too far.
to accept that you have different opinions and stop arguing
We couldn’t agree, so we decided to _____ ___ _______.
agree to disagree
to talk openly about a problem in order to remove tension or misunderstandings
They met to _____ ____ ______ after the disagreement.
clear the air
to stop yourself from saying something you want to say
I wanted to reply, but I ___ ___ ______ .
bite your tongue
to compromise by both sides changing their position a little
We disagreed, but we managed to _____ ________.
meet halfway
to leave a situation to avoid further conflict or trouble
I decided to ____ _____ before the argument escalated.
walk away
to get very angry, to stop controlling your emotions
She ____ ___ in the comment section.
lose it
to understand another person’s opinion, even if you don’t fully agree
I don’t agree, but I _____ _____ _______.
see someone’s point
to release strong emotions, especially anger or frustration
He went for a run to ____ ____ ____.
let off steam / blow off steam
to insult one another using rude or offensive words
They started ____ _____ _____ _____ instead of discussing the issue.
call each other names
to stop resisting and accept another person’s opinion or decision
After a long argument, she finally _____ ____.
give in
to support what you say with reasons, facts, or evidence
You need to ____ ____ _____ ______ with examples.
back up your argument
to remain polite and respectful, even when you disagree
Let’s _____ _____ ______ and focus on the topic.
keep things civil
to continue believing or supporting your view, even when others disagree
to refuse to change your position when pressured
She listened to the criticism but ______ __ ___ _______.
stick to your opinion / stand your ground
He stood his ground during the debate.
(Stronger than “stick to your opinion”)
rude or offensive words used to express strong emotions, especially anger
Using ____ _____ usually makes an argument worse.
swear words