lowering the boom
Delivering harsh consequences
Lowering the boom means taking decisive, often harsh action against someone—delivering punishment, reprimand, or sudden bad news.
The expression comes from the boom of a sailing vessel or crane, a heavy beam that swings down with force.
When someone lowers the boom, they're putting a stop to something or asserting authority firmly: The new manager lowered the boom on long lunch breaks.
It suggests an abrupt end to leniency or tolerance.
- crackdownSudden strict enforcement
- drop the hammerAccelerate suddenly and fully
- sparNautical support beam
- reprimandFormal expression of disapproval
- read the riot actSeverely warn of consequences
call on the carpet · mast · ship's rigging · dominance · rigging · enforcement · zero tolerance · punishment · ultimatum · sanction · governance · sail · admonishment · comeuppance · tough love · leadership · lay down the law · put your foot down
lowering the boomletting slide
Choosing to ignore
letting off easy · soft-pedaling · handling with kid gloves · sugarcoating · looking the other way
lowering the boomlooking the other way
Deliberately ignoring wrongdoing
turning a blind eye · pardoning · forgiving · excusing · overlooking
lowering the boomsweeping under the rug
kicking the can down the road · beating around the bush · sitting on one's hands · dragging one's feet · hemming and hawing
lower, lowered, lowers, lowest, lowness, boom, booms, boomed, booming