# drive a stake through its heart

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/drive-a-stake-through-its-heart
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

get rid of, destroy permanently or stop talking about

## Examples

- We need to drive a stake through its heart and stop this project.
- The committee decided to drive a stake through its heart to ensure the failed policy never returned.
- The author hoped that by addressing the rumors directly, he could drive a stake through its heart and finally move on with his life.

## Origin

The phrase alludes to the methods of dispatching vampires in Gothic fiction. The imagery stems from the tradition that an undead creature must have a wooden stake driven through its heart to ensure its permanent destruction.

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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.