# hand someone his hat

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/hand-someone-his-hat
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To require someone to depart; to dismiss someone.

## Examples

- The boss had to hand him his hat after the mistake.
- The manager decided to hand him his hat when he realized the employee was stealing from the register.
- After the board discovered the executive had been embezzling funds for years, they promptly handed him his hat and escorted him from the building.

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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.