# have someone's head

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/have-someones-head
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To punish someone severely, as by sacking (firing), imprisonment, or similarly harsh penalties.

## Examples

- If you break that expensive vase, the boss will have your head.
- The manager warned the team that he would have their heads if they missed the deadline again.
- The director vowed to have the head of whoever leaked the confidential documents to the press before the official announcement.

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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.