Idiom
clip someone's wings
Meaning
To restrict someone's freedom.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Examples
“My boss clipped my wings by limiting my travel budget.”
“Parents often clip their teenagers' wings by setting a very early curfew.”
“The bank clips your wings when they lower your credit card limit.”
“The new company rules really clipped my wings, as I can no longer work from home on Fridays.”
“The head chef clipped his assistant's wings by refusing to let him add any new dishes to the seasonal menu.”
“After the scandal, the board of directors clipped the CEO's wings by requiring every decision to be approved by a committee.”
“Moving back to a small village after living in the city for years really clipped her wings and made her feel trapped.”
“The strict regulations imposed by the board effectively clipped the manager's wings, preventing him from pursuing the ambitious expansion he had planned.”
Examples
simple
“My boss clipped my wings by limiting my travel budget.”
“Parents often clip their teenagers' wings by setting a very early curfew.”
“The bank clips your wings when they lower your credit card limit.”
contextual
“The new company rules really clipped my wings, as I can no longer work from home on Fridays.”
“The head chef clipped his assistant's wings by refusing to let him add any new dishes to the seasonal menu.”
“After the scandal, the board of directors clipped the CEO's wings by requiring every decision to be approved by a committee.”
“Moving back to a small village after living in the city for years really clipped her wings and made her feel trapped.”
complex
“The strict regulations imposed by the board effectively clipped the manager's wings, preventing him from pursuing the ambitious expansion he had planned.”
Origin
From the practice of trimming a bird's primary flight feathers to prevent its departure. The physical alteration ensures the animal remains within the owner's property, an inconvenience for the bird that has transitioned into a figurative restriction of another's independence.
Key words
Related idioms
- Updated