kibosh
Americannoun
idioms
noun
verb
Etymology
Origin of kibosh
First recorded in 1830–40; of obscure origin
Explanation
When you put the kibosh on something, you refuse to let it happen, or you bring it to an end. Your town may put the kibosh on dogs in the park if their owners don't clean up after them. You'll almost always find the word kibosh in the phrase "put the kibosh on." Kids often feel like their parents are constantly putting the kibosh on their fun, and you may be disappointed when rain puts the kibosh on your picnic plans. The origin of kibosh is unknown: Some experts think it's Yiddish, from a word meaning "subdue." Others trace it to an Arabic word meaning "whip or lash." Still others think it comes from an Irish phrase with various meanings, including "a covering put over the face of a deceased person before burial."
Vocabulary lists containing kibosh
The Search Is Over: Synonyms for "Stop"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Remarriage will put the kibosh in your ability to claim spousal benefits on your first spouse’s record.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 12, 2026
Various delays intervened, but the work was finally scheduled to have its debut last month, until Mr. Glass’s maneuver put the kibosh on things.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 7, 2026
But whether a listener calls for a boycott of Harbour’s projects or a kibosh on Allen’s music, they’re playing into Allen’s hand.
From Salon ● Oct. 29, 2025
Barkley seemingly put the kibosh on that notion when he said a pilot TNT taped was “just stupid stuff.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 22, 2025
A long stretch of low, overcast skies at Cape Canaveral put the kibosh on two more scheduled launches, on January 20 and February 12,1962.
From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
