burning one's bridges
Eliminating retreat options
Burning one's bridges means eliminating any possibility of retreat or reversal—committing irreversibly to a course of action.
The image is of an army destroying the bridges behind it, making return impossible.
Usually the phrase warns against rash actions: Don't burn your bridges with your employer—you might need a reference.
Someone who quits dramatically or severs relationships permanently has burned their bridges.
- irrevocableCannot be undone
- point of no returnThreshold beyond which reversal impossible
- no turning backCommitment beyond reversal
- estrangementEmotional separation between people
- finalityState of conclusive completion
boldness · repercussions · severance · courage · conviction · commitment · leap · leap of faith · audacity · sacrifice · crossroads · resolve · gamble · choices · closure · all or nothing · going all in · alienation
burning one's bridgeskeeping one's options open
Maintaining multiple possibilities
hedging one's bets · building bridges · playing it safe · mending fences · sitting on the fence
burning one's bridgeshedging
Noncommittal maneuvering
equivocating · waffling · playing both sides · noncommittal · risk-averse
burning one's bridgeskeeping the peace
Maintaining order and calm
mending fences · building bridges · burying the hatchet · networking
burns, burned, burning, burner, burners, burnout, sunburn, bridge, bridges