# bottle it

CEFR B2 · Phrasal verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/bottle-it
Updated: 2026-07-26

## Definition

to lose your courage at the last moment and decide not to do something you planned.

For teachers: to fail to perform or to withdraw from a commitment due to a sudden loss of nerve or confidence. This is a highly idiomatic phrasal verb common in British English, often used in sporting or high-pressure contexts.

## Examples

- He was going to jump, but he bottled it at the last second.
- She had practiced her speech for weeks, but she bottled it when she saw the size of the crowd.
- Despite their early lead, the team seemed to bottle it in the final ten minutes, allowing the opposition to score twice.

## Pitfalls

- Not "He bottled to jump." but "He bottled it and didn't jump." — The phrase is typically used alone or followed by a coordinating conjunction, not followed by an infinitive verb.

## Usage notes

- The pronoun 'it' is a fixed part of the phrase and does not refer to a specific object.
- Teaching tip: Explain that 'it' is dummy syntax here; you cannot 'bottle a race' or 'bottle the jump' in this sense—you simply 'bottle it'.

---

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.