to send someone packing
4
7.9
- phrasal verb
- Informal
:
echar a alguien
- I'd say if our elected officials don't move for impeachment, then we should send them packing in the next election.
Examples
-
He would have found me out, so I had to send him packing.
-
She sent me packing.
-
I went and sent him packing from the island.
-
You should have sent him packing.
-
Moore: The police and the man from the bank were sent packing.
-
We sent him packing.
-
His disparaging comments and overall abrasive style should be enough alone to send him packing.
Blog text (9) -
The manager decided to send the employee packing after repeated mistakes.
-
After the argument, she felt it was time to send him packing for good.
-
Don't let anyone walk over you; if they disrespect you, send them packing!
Synonyms
852
3.8
To stop employing someone so they lose their job
512
3.0
Force someone to leave a place or group
236
3.0
To force someone to leave a place, job, or group
194
5.0
Force someone to leave a place, such as a school or country, often by official order
110
2.7
To tell people to leave a meeting or room
70
3.8
Force someone or something to leave a place
46
4.4
To make someone leave a job by pressure or threats
43
3.0
Make someone leave a job or group because of a problem
37
3.5
To make someone leave their job
32
4.2
Force someone to leave a place
15
5.8
Force someone to leave a job or organization suddenly
12
9.4
Suddenly stop seeing or talking to someone
12
7.4
To stop someone from working at their job, usually because of bad work or behavior
8
6.5
To make someone leave quickly to show they are not wanted
7
8.6
Make a student leave college or university for a short time as punishment
7
8.6
Get rid of someone or something you no longer want
6
6.7
Tell someone to leave a place firmly
5
6.4
Tell someone to leave a place in a rude or angry way
4
8.5
To tell someone to leave their job or to stop using something
3
5.1
To lead someone politely out of a room or building at the end of an event
1
4.0
To force someone to leave a place, group or job
1
7.1
To force someone or something out of a place by searching
1
8.2
Force someone to leave a place or job
1
5.2
To make someone leave their job, often as punishment or during job cuts
1
5.0
To force someone to leave a place usually because they cause trouble
To stop employing someone, often suddenly as punishment
To tell someone they must leave their job
To suddenly end someone's job or a relationship, often without warning
End someone's job or relationship suddenly and without warning
To end a relationship or job suddenly and harshly
Antonyms
How Forceful
194
5.0
80
6.2
- Informal
4
7.9
- Informal
5
6.4
43
3.0
70
3.3
Surface Forms
Morphology
The combination 'send' + 'packing' evokes the image of causing someone to pack their things and go, so a learner who knows the words can likely infer a basic meaning of forcing someone to leave. However, the phrase is somewhat idiomatic—the nuance of abrupt or formal dismissal and its fixed verbal pattern may not be fully predictable without exposure, so it is only partially transparent.
Etymology
Send someone packing probably comes from the image of forcing a person to put their things into a pack and go away quickly. So it means 'to make someone leave' quickly and often forcefully.