pull the plug on

Idioms

Discontinue, end, as in The government pulled the plug on that program . [First half of 1900s]
Remove all life-supporting equipment, as in The family debated whether it was time to pull the plug on him . [Second half of 1900s] Although this idiom undoubtedly alludes to cutting off electricity to an electrical device, it originally referred to the removal of a stopper that flushed an old-style toilet.

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.

Now Pacific Gas and Electric Co. is fighting California regulators to pull the plug on a costly solar plant.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 17, 2025

She pushed tax relief for wildfire victims in Sacramento, only to abruptly pull the plug on her bill.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 17, 2025

Should McLaren pull the plug on Oscar Piastri to focus on Norris, and if they did, when?

From BBC • Nov. 25, 2025

If the face-off persists, that may just force enough viewers to pull the plug on Google.

From Slate • Nov. 10, 2025

Mom was not ready to pull the plug on the Erik Fisher Football Dream that drove our lives.

From "Tangerine" by Edward Bloor

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023