snuff out

Idioms  

1. Extinguish, put a sudden end to, as in Three young lives were snuffed out in that automobile accident . This usage alludes to snuff in the sense of “put out a candle by pinching the wick,” an area itself called snuff from the late 1300s on. [Mid-1800s]

2. Kill, murder, as in If he told the police, the gang would snuff him out . [ Slang ; first half of 1900s]

3. Also, snuff it . Die or be killed, as in He looked very ill indeed, as though he might snuff out any day , or Grandpa just snuffed it . [ Slang ; second half of 1800s]

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

snuff out

Diomande also showed power and sleight of foot to escape when Ecuador doubled up on him in an attempt to snuff out his threat.

From BBC ● Jun. 15, 2026

Giannoulias, who pushed for the law after he said he and his young daughters were almost struck by an e-moto on a sidewalk, said he wasn’t trying to snuff out a fledgling form of transportation.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 7, 2026

To snuff out talk of goblins, OpenAI said it killed the “nerdy” personality in March.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 1, 2026

German investor morale slid to its lowest level in over three years in April, a survey showed Tuesday, as the Middle East war threatens to snuff out a tentative recovery in Europe's top economy.

From Barron's ● Apr. 21, 2026

Then she thought about the other lines of the prophecy: The twins snuff out the angel’s breath, who holds the keys to endless death.

From "The Mark of Athena" by Rick Riordan