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 teachers and parents are constantly putting the kibosh on their fun, and you may be disappointed when a rainy day puts the kibosh on your picnic plans. The origin of kibosh is unknown — though many people think it's Yiddish, the word's earliest use was probably in an Irish neighborhood in London in the early 1800s.
Vocabulary lists containing kibosh
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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.
What’s more, it would provide either one or both of the Bezoses the ability to put the editorial kibosh on anything they deem unfit to print, while shoehorning their own interests into the publication.
From Salon • May 6, 2026
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
But so far ministers have been bullish, regarding pretty much all of these amendments as ultimately trying to kibosh their entire plan.
From BBC • Apr. 17, 2024
Even at that, a federal study on physical education in the 1920s put the kibosh on girls basketball in some areas of the state.
From Seattle Times • Mar. 12, 2024
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.
