kicking the can down the road
Deferring the problem
Kicking the can down the road means postponing a problem rather than solving it, deferring difficult decisions to a later time.
The image is of nudging something forward without picking it up—the can remains in your path.
Politicians are often accused of kicking the can down the road on issues like debt or climate change: Congress kicked the can down the road with another short-term budget fix.
- bidingWaiting patiently for something
- buying timeDelaying to gain advantage
- snowballingIncreasing by rapid accumulation
- delaying tacticsActions to postpone resolution
- procrastinatingPostponing what needs doing
ripple effect · abdication · repercussions · delay · domino effect · shirking · evasion · sweeping under the rug · head in the sand · postponement · neglect · backlash · future generations · escalation · short-termism · sidestepping · fallout · stalling
kicking the can down the roadtaking the bull by the horns
Confronting a difficulty directly
biting the bullet · grasping the nettle · facing the music · stepping up to the plate · taking the plunge
kicking the can down the roadtaking responsibility