nip in bud
Prevent before growing
To nip something in the bud is to stop it at an early stage before it can develop or spread.
The phrase comes from gardening—pinching off a bud prevents a flower or branch from growing.
We need to nip this problem in the bud before it gets worse.
Often mistakenly rendered as "nip in the butt."
- stifleSuppress or restrain
- squashFlatten by pressure
- quashSuppress or nullify
- squelchForcibly silence or suppress
- stamp outForcefully eliminate or suppress
thwart · prevent · head off · halt · stop · stop dead · cut short · curtail · put an end to · early · seedling · sprout · young shoot · cut · snip · prune · weed · strangle
intervention timing
nip in budwait and see
Defer until clarity comes
too little too late · fight fires · let sleeping dogs lie · turn a blind eye · look the other way
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