Meaning & use
broach the subject
Last updated
Meaning
phraseidiom
To bring up a difficult or sensitive topic in conversation for the first time.
Grammar: Used as a verb phrase; often followed by 'of' or 'with' to specify the topic or person.
Patterns
- broach the subject of something
- broach the subject with someone
- broach the subject carefully
I didn't know how to broach the subject of his debt.
She finally broached the subject of moving out.
He broached the subject with his boss during lunch.
Common combinations
- broach the subject of
- They broached the subject of marriage.
- broach the subject with someone
- I need to broach the subject with my parents.
- broach the subject carefully
- She broached the subject carefully, not wanting to upset him.
- broach the topic
- He was afraid to broach the topic of layoffs.
Synonyms and how they differ
- bring up
- More informal and general; 'bring up' can be used for any topic, while 'broach the subject' suggests a sensitive or difficult matter.
- raise
- Similar but slightly more formal; 'raise the subject' is often used in meetings.
- mention
- To mention is to say something briefly; broaching a subject implies starting a serious discussion.
Commonly confused: broach the subject or broach?
broach the subject vs broach
As a verb alone, 'broach' can also mean to open a bottle or a barrel, but in this phrase it means to introduce a topic.
Practice
She was nervous about ___ the subject of her resignation with her manager.
Choose one answer.
After the preposition 'about', the -ing form 'broaching' is needed. 'Broach' is the base form, 'broached' is past tense, and 'broaches' is third-person singular, none of which follow a preposition.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “broach the subject”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.