Idiom
Burn bridges
To burn bridges is to act in a way that destroys a relationship or opportunity, so you cannot go back to it later.
How people use it
People most often use it as a warning about jobs, schools and relationships: Even if you hate your job, don't burn bridges when you leave. Common forms are burn your bridges and burn bridges with someone. It is informal to neutral. It usually describes damage caused by angry words or rude behavior, and the point is that you might need that person or place again someday. Burn your bridges behind you can also mean committing fully to a choice with no way back.
Also said: burn your bridges.
Examples
- Ana left her job politely because she didn't want to burn bridges with her old boss.
- Yelling at the landlord would burn bridges you might need later.
- Leo burned his bridges with the band when he quit the night before the show.
Where it comes from
The phrase comes from old military practice: an army that crossed a river might burn the bridge behind it, so there was no way to retreat and soldiers had to keep going. The older form burn your boats carries a similar idea. The modern sense of ruining relationships became common in the 1900s.
Check yourself
1. Why do career advisers say not to burn bridges?
Answer: You may need old contacts again someday. Burning bridges ruins relationships you might need later.
2. Which sentence uses the idiom correctly?
Answer: He burned bridges by insulting his coworkers on his last day.. Insulting coworkers damages relationships, which is what burning bridges means.
Similar idioms
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