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

But the unfazed Spaniard ended up completing a staggering 100 passes, and helped snuff out any potential breakaways from the visitors at Etihad Stadium.

From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026

In the windowless room, climate controls ensure the humidity remains constant, while a suppression system stands ready to snuff out fires.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 23, 2026

A hawkish tilt, on the other hand, could quickly snuff out the nascent rally, trigger a spike in Treasury bond yields, and deepen the retreat into cash by the world’s biggest investors.

From Barron's ● Mar. 18, 2026

The Netherlands forward was impressive and scored the winner from the spot after David Hancko's header made it 2-2 in the 75th minute to snuff out any lingering hopes of an unlikely comeback.

From BBC ● Mar. 18, 2026

“We’ll find him. At least we know what the lines of the prophecy mean now. ‘Twins snuff out the angel’s breath, who holds the key to endless death.’

From "The Mark of Athena" by Rick Riordan