Why We 'Touch Base' at Work and in Baseball

You'll often year someone ask to touch base in business contexts, meaning they want to quickly check in to make sure all parties are still aligned. Hinterhaus Productions / Getty Images

"Let's touch base" is a common phrase in emails and meetings. It's a handy idiom for when you want to connect or briefly check in with someone.

But where does "touch base" come from, and does it have anything to do with baseball?

'Touch Base' Meaning

In everyday conversation, but particularly in business contexts, "touch base" means to make contact with someone to exchange important updates or confirm details. For example, a manager might touch base with their team each week to ensure projects are moving forward smoothly.

So, touching base can be as simple as sending a quick message or having a brief call to check in and make sure all parties are on the same page. While common in the workplace, you can use the phrase in more casual environments as well.

Origins of the Phrase

The main theory is that "touch base" derives from baseball, where the concept of bases plays a central role in the game.

In baseball, a player must touch each base to advance and ultimately reach home base to score. The idea of "touching base" became a metaphor for making contact — as in the game, each base is a checkpoint that players must "touch" before moving forward.

From there, "touch base" may have evolved to mean regrouping in the workplace. Like a player confirming their progress by touching each base safely, professionals at work use the phrase to mean making brief contact to ensure alignment and share updates.

3 Examples of 'Touch Base' in Everyday Conversation

Despite a distinctly athletic origin, touching base is also common in everyday scenarios where people want to stay in touch and keep communication open. Here are some examples of how it might come up in conversation.

In the workplace: "Let's touch base next week to go over our progress on the project." Here, the manager is suggesting a brief check-in to keep everyone updated.
Between friends: "I'll touch base with you before the event to see what time you're arriving." In this context, one friend wants to make sure they coordinate plans and details.
In a group: "We should touch base with our members to confirm everyone is ready for the campaign kickoff." Here, "touching base" means making contact with a group to inform and prepare everyone.
Family communication: "I just wanted to touch base and see how your week has been." In this case, it's a casual check-in, showing that "touch base" works well in both personal and professional contexts.

5 Alternatives to 'Touch Base'

While "touch base" is common, it is corporate jargon that some might find off-putting. If you want to switch it up, here are some other options:

Address
Check in
Inform
Regroup
Revisit

We created this article in conjunction with AI technology, then made sure it was fact-checked and edited by a HowStuffWorks editor.