Idiom
nip in the bud
Meanings
To stop something harmful or unwanted very early, before it develops further.
To deal quickly with a minor problem, disagreement, or bad behaviour so it does not spread or worsen.
Definition
To nip in the bud means to stop a problem at an early stage before it becomes serious.
If you nip in the bud something negative, you deal with it immediately while it is still small and manageable. The idea is to prevent it from growing into a bigger problem later. It is often used for bad habits, conflicts, rumours, or minor issues at work or school.
Examples
- We need to nip in the bud any rumours before they spread.
- The teacher nipped in the bud the teasing as soon as it started.
- If you nip in the bud small mistakes, the project won’t derail later.
- She tried to nip in the bud his habit of arriving late.
- The council acted quickly to nip in the bud the noise complaints.
Common mistake
Learners often say “cut in the bud” or forget “the,” but the correct phrase is “nip in the bud” (often “nip it in the bud”).
More at B2 level
- Bob's your uncle Used to say that something will be easy or will happen exactly as expected after a simple step.
- touch base To touch base means to briefly contact someone to share updates, confirm plans, or check progress.
- ballpark figure A ballpark figure is an approximate number or estimate, not an exact one.
- take the mickey To take the mickey means to mock someone or tease them in an unkind or cheeky way.
- cheap as chips Very cheap; costing very little money.
More idiom (verb phrase)s
- touch base To touch base means to briefly contact someone to share updates, confirm plans, or check progress.
- take the mickey To take the mickey means to mock someone or tease them in an unkind or cheeky way.
- drop the ball To drop the ball means to make a mistake or fail to do something you were responsible for.
- have a chinwag To have a chinwag means to have a relaxed, friendly chat with someone.
- face the music To accept and deal with the unpleasant consequences of what you have done or a difficult situation.