Idiom
shot across the bow
Meaning
A warning that negative consequences will be faced if something is carried out or allowed to continue.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Examples
“The manager gave us a shot across the bow about our late reports.”
“Her sharp look is a shot across the bow to stop talking.”
“The regulator issued a shot across the bow, warning the company that further violations would lead to heavy fines.”
“The landlord sent a shot across the bow by mailing a formal notice after the tenant missed only one day of rent.”
“The teacher fired a shot across the bow by taking away the student's phone for five minutes to prevent further distractions during the final exam.”
“By canceling the contract, the client fired a shot across the bow, signaling that they would no longer tolerate the firm's consistent failure to meet deadlines.”
Examples
simple
“The manager gave us a shot across the bow about our late reports.”
“Her sharp look is a shot across the bow to stop talking.”
contextual
“The regulator issued a shot across the bow, warning the company that further violations would lead to heavy fines.”
“The landlord sent a shot across the bow by mailing a formal notice after the tenant missed only one day of rent.”
“The teacher fired a shot across the bow by taking away the student's phone for five minutes to prevent further distractions during the final exam.”
complex
“By canceling the contract, the client fired a shot across the bow, signaling that they would no longer tolerate the firm's consistent failure to meet deadlines.”
Origin
Derived from the naval practice of discharging a cannonball over the front portion of an opposing vessel. The projectile was intended to miss the hull but cross its path, providing a visual and auditory signal for the ship to stop or alter its course. As a method of communication, it was considered more economical than a broadside and significantly less paperwork than a sinking.
Key words
Related idioms
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