seal one's fate

1. Decide what will become of one, as in The letter of rejection sealed his fate; he'd have to apply to other medical schools. This term employs seal in the sense of “permanently fix or fasten something,” a usage dating from the mid-1600s.

Example Sentences

Especially when considered in light of a community or family situation that seems designed to seal one's fate, there is no more hopeful message.

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