to burn that bridge
1
7.7
- idiom
- Informal
:
quemar ese puente
- She laughed and said she’d burn that bridge when it became a real problem.
Examples
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He always says we'll burn that bridge when we come to it, rather than plan ahead.
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If you quit your job without notice, you might burn that bridge for future opportunities.
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Don't burn that bridge with your boss!
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She burned that bridge when she quit her job.
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If you leave the company without notice, you might really burn that bridge with your boss.
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She decided to burn that bridge by telling the truth, even if it cost her the friendship.
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He was warned that quitting his job without a backup plan could burn that bridge to future opportunities.
Antonyms
Make a connection between two things or people, for example to reduce differences
How Damaging
Surface Forms
Morphology
The core meaning 'to destroy a link or opportunity' can be partly derived from 'burn' (to destroy) plus 'bridge' used metaphorically as a link, so a learner who recognizes 'bridge' as a link may infer the general sense. However, the metaphorical/idiomatic extension (applied to relationships or future options) and the pragmatic nuance of warning or humor are not fully predictable at B1 without prior exposure, making it only partially transparent.
Etymology
The phrase burn that bridge may come from the image of someone who sets a wooden bridge on fire so they cannot go back. To burn a bridge like that stops a person from returning, so the phrase now means 'to destroy a relationship or future option'.