# kick the can down the road

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/kick-the-can-down-the-road
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To avoid or postpone a decision or action; to procrastinate.

## Examples

- They always kick the can down the road instead of fixing the problem.
- He kicks the can down the road by ignoring his mounting credit card debt.
- The committee decided to kick the can down the road by delaying the vote until next month.
- If we don't choose a new office location today, we are just kicking the can down the road while our current lease expires.
- The manager keeps kicking the can down the road regarding my promotion request, so I might start looking for a new job.
- Rather than addressing the structural deficit immediately, the government chose to kick the can down the road, leaving the difficult choices for the next administration.

## Origin

First attested in the late 19th century, the phrase originally described a physical activity pursued by idle urban youths. The transition to the modern sense of procrastination occurred in the 1980s, when the image of a child aimlessly propelling a piece of rubbish ahead of them became a metaphor for deferring a decision to a later date.

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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.