# dash someone's hopes

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/dash-someones-hopes
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To undercut or undermine someone's dreams or aspirations.

## Examples

- I do not want to dash your hopes, but the tickets are sold out.
- The coach did not want to dash his hopes, but he had to tell the player he did not make the team.
- The sudden cancellation of the project served to dash the hopes of the entire research team, who had spent years working toward that specific goal.

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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.