# a bridge too far

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/a-bridge-too-far
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

A step or action that is too ambitious; an act of overreaching.

## Examples

- Asking for a pay raise now is a bridge too far.
- Running a full marathon without any training is a bridge too far.
- Buying a luxury car on your current salary is a bridge too far.
- The manager wanted us to finish the project in two days, but that was a bridge too far for the team.
- I can handle the extra chores at home, but asking me to paint the entire garage this weekend is a bridge too far.
- The director likes bold ideas, but changing the entire script the night before the play starts is a bridge too far.
- While the company hoped to expand into three new countries simultaneously, the board eventually concluded that such rapid growth was a bridge too far.

## Origin

In reference to Operation Market Garden, Allied airborne military operation of 1944. General Roy E. Urquhart, in his 1958 memoir Arnhem, ascribed the phrase to general Frederick “Boy” Browning. It was popularized by being chosen as the title of Cornelius Ryan’s 1974 book on Operation Market Garden and the subsequent 1977 epic war film.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.