The ‘Magic’ Phrase That Can Stop an Argument Before It Escalates

Arguments rarely become destructive because of one sentence alone. They escalate when both people react faster, speak more harshly and begin matching each other’s anger instead of addressing the original problem.

No phrase can guarantee peace, but one carefully structured request can interrupt that cycle: “Can we pause and come back to this in 20 minutes?” Research and conflict experts explain why these words work—and why the promise to return matters as much as the pause itself.