Idiom
burn one's bridges
Meaning
To destroy one's path, connections, reputation, opportunities, etc., particularly intentionally.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Examples
“Don't burn your bridges before you find a new job.”
“He insulted his former boss on social media, effectively burning his bridges with the entire company.”
“By publicly denouncing the organization that nurtured his early career, the ambitious writer burned his bridges and ensured he would never be welcomed back.”
Examples
simple
“Don't burn your bridges before you find a new job.”
contextual
“He insulted his former boss on social media, effectively burning his bridges with the entire company.”
complex
“By publicly denouncing the organization that nurtured his early career, the ambitious writer burned his bridges and ensured he would never be welcomed back.”
Origin
The phrase originates from a military tactic in which a retreating or advancing force intentionally destroyed the bridge it had just crossed. By setting the timber alight, the commander ensured that his own troops could not retreat, thereby committing the men to a singular course of action through the elimination of any other geographical alternative. The physical act of arson served as a mechanism for internal discipline; one cannot return to where one was if the path no longer exists. While the literal bridge-burning was a matter of logistics and steel, the idiom has since transitioned into the social sphere to describe the terminal alienation of one's former associates.
Key words
Related idioms
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