put a lid on
To get under control, to prevent (something) from increasing or becoming more of a problem.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“We need to put a lid on these rising costs.”
“The manager decided to put a lid on the office gossip before it caused any real trouble.”
“The government struggled to put a lid on the escalating inflation, despite implementing several strict fiscal policies to stabilize the national economy.”
- 01
blow the lid off
To uncover (a secret or scandal).
- 02
call a lid
To inform the press that no further news will be released from a governmental body that day.
- 03
flip one's lid
To become explosively angry, to lose one's temper.
- 04
keep a lid on
To keep something secret.
- 05
lipstick on a pig
To make superficial or cosmetic changes to something in a doomed attempt to disguise its fundamental flaws.
- 06
not to put too fine a point on it
Used to apologize for a possibly impolite statement one is making; to put it bluntly; to express it in plain terms.
- 07
put a band-aid on a bullet wound
To inadequately treat a serious situation.
- 08
put a blanket over
Make (something) seem less serious.
Last updated August 10, 2026