English Expressions for Rescheduling Meetings [Updated]

Wouldn't it be nice to always be on time for our appointments?

Unfortunately, unexpected things happen sometimes and we aren't available when we thought we would be.

When these situations happen, it's important to know what to say to smoothly change to a more convenient time. This article will cover useful phrases you can use in emails, text messages and phone conversations.

Making Changes

The procedure for rescheduling usually follows the same basic steps:

1. Apologize for not being able to meet at the original time
2. Give a reason why you must reschedule
3. Suggest a new time to meet

For the first part, you can use standard apologies, such as “I’m (really) sorry, but ~” or “Unfortunately ~.” After that, try one of the following expressions.

Push back

This is used when you need to meet later than the original time you decided. You can use it for specific times or for entire days. Both “push back a meeting” and “push a meeting back” are OK.

• I’m sorry, but my train is late. Can we push the meeting back to 3 p.m.?
• Sue called to say she has to push back the lunch meeting to 12:30.

Bring forward

This is the opposite of "push back." If the original time is too late, use "this"bring forward" to suggest an earlier time.

• My son’s music lesson starts at 5 instead of 6. Can we bring our meeting forward an hour?
• The announcement said the seminar will be brought forward to 2 p.m.

You can also use these expressions to talk about work deadlines.

• The team is moving so quickly that we've brought our delivery date forward by two months.
• Delays with our supplier mean we need to push back our target dates.

Postpone

"Postpone" is a verb that means "to move to a later time." Things can be postponed because of someone's choice or because of situations that cannot be controlled.

• I'm sorry, everyone, but we'll need to postpone the company party until the boss has recovered from his injury.
• My flight was postponed due to the snow storm. Can we move our meeting to tomorrow afternoon?

Reschedule

You can also simply use “reschedule” if you need to make changes to your plans.

• Unfortunately, my assistant made a mistake on my calendar and I can’t meet at our original time, so we’ll need to reschedule. Are you available on Thursday between 2 and 4?

“Something’s come up”

Use this phrase to say that your schedule has changed unexpectedly without giving extra details.

"Come up" means" appear suddenly." It's often used when the original appointment time is coming soon.

• I apologize, but something's come up and I won't be able to attend the event tonight. I hope you'll invite me to the next one.
• I'm really sorry, but something important came up that I need to deal with immediately. Are you available to meet next week instead?

Move things around

This phrase is common when responding to someone’s request to reschedule. It means "to reorganize an activity calendar." For example, if you change your morning meeting to a lunch meeting, you might then need to cancel or reschedule a plan you already had for the afternoon.

Other Common Expressions for Scheduling and Rescheduling

Work

Similar to "make" and "do," "work" is a verb that is useful in many different situations. For scheduling, if a date or time "works," it means it is convenient.

• How about Tuesday at 6 p.m.? Does that work?
• If that isn't a good time, please let me know what would work for you.

Related article: "Do" vs. "Make": What's the Difference?

Tight

When talking about schedules and meetings, the adjective "tight" means "very busy." Imagine a calendar that has activities planned almost all day, every day. Just like tight clothes, a tight schedule doesn't give you much room to move!

• She always has a tight schedule. We only have time to meet on the weekends.
• His schedule is usually pretty tight around the end of the year.

Fit (someone/something) in

Sometimes meetings don't need to be rescheduled. If there is enough free time between other activities, you can simply add a new one and do them all. In this case, you are "fitting it into" your current schedule.

We use "fit" together with the person or activity that is being discussed.

• Mr. Saito is busy in the afternoon, but he can fit you in before his 5 o'clock appointment.
• I wish I could fit lunch in with you today, but I'm just too busy!

A stronger version of this expression is "squeeze in," which suggests there is only a very small amount of free time available.

• I'm sorry for the short notice, but can you squeeze in a quick conference call before you leave?

Rain check

This expression comes from outdoor events that are canceled because of bad weather. People who bought tickets are given "rain checks" that allow them to attend another event in the future.

Asking someone for a rain check is not quite the same as rescheduling. Rescheduling means choosing a new time or date for an appointment. Rain checks, however, are for a time in the future that has not been decided yet.

If you are not sure when you will be available for another meeting, you can ask for a rain check. This expression is more casual than the others we've introduced in this article, so it's better to use with friends in informal situations.

• It looks like I will be pretty busy for a while. Can I get a rain check? Maybe we can meet next week.
• Thank you for inviting me, but unfortunately I can't go tonight. But I'll take a rain check!

Wrap-up

Surprises and sudden changes are a normal part of life, so don't feel bad when you need to reschedule your plans. Just be polite, apologize and suggest a new day or time that's better. Use these examples as a guide and choose the right one that is appropriate for your situation.

For more useful tips for professionals, check out this article on Business English basics.

• politeness