be the death of

Idioms  

1. Cause the death of something or someone, as in This comedian is so funny, he'll be the death of me. Although this phrase can be used literally, meaning “to kill someone or something,” it has also been used hyperbolically (as in the example) since the late 1500s. Shakespeare used it in 1 Henry IV (2:1): “Since the price of oats rose, it was the death of him.”

---

Example Sentences

If I’d known one of those machines would be the death of her…” The farmer’s voice trailed off.

From Literature

This bullpen is going to be the death of them.

From Los Angeles Times

Moore never considered that “Long Bright River,” which ended up on Barack Obama’s favorite books of 2020 list, would become a series when writing — that idea, she says, would be the “death of my fiction.”

From Los Angeles Times

Today should be the death of those naïve beliefs and fictions.

From Salon

“NIL as a whole, a lot of the detractors before it went into action said that it was going to be the death of college sports; I think because of NIL, more people are watching college sports than ever,” Griffin said.

From Los Angeles Times