on the block
Idioms-
. Offer for sale, as in These paintings will all be put on the block . This usage alludes to the auction block, the platform from which the auctioneer sells, so called since the mid-1800s.
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put one's head on the block . Take a great risk, make oneself vulnerable, as in I'm not going to put my head on the block just to save her reputation . This usage alludes to the executioner's block, on which victims are beheaded, so called since the mid-1500s.
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.
"They have replaced America as the cool kids on the block."
From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026
As the world slowly became more comfortable with social interaction, Eileen began introducing us to everyone on the block.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026
The Escobedos also have a 12-year-old at home, and Fernando said she is one of a few children under 18 on the block.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
There’s a new hot memory company on the block, and the shares of more established players are losing some luster.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026
Of course everybody on the block soon knew that Kitty was staying home from school.
From "145th Street: Short Stories" by Walter Dean Myers
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.
