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Glite Dictionary
to take the bread out of someone's mouth

to take the bread out of someone's mouth

1 8.2
To make someone lose the job or money they need to live
  • idiom
  • Informal
translation icon : quitar el pan de la boca
  • I would never want to take the bread out of someone's mouth by taking away their job.

Examples

  • By stealing her idea, he effectively took the bread out of her mouth.

  • Don't take the bread out of her mouth!

  • Many local businesses fear that the new supermarket will take the bread out of their mouths.

  • The new policy will take the bread out of his mouth.

  • Losing his job took the bread out of his family's mouth.

  • The new policy could take the bread out of many workers' mouths.

  • When the factory closed, it took the bread out of countless locals' mouths.

Synonyms

to force out
vsto take the bread out of someone's mouth
46 4.4

To make someone leave a job by pressure or threats

emphasizes the act of removing someone's ability to earn rather than coercion method
to do out of
vsto take the bread out of someone's mouth
  • UK
11 8.4

Cheat someone so they lose money or other things they should have

targets taking possessions or rights, not specifically removing ability to earn a living
to kick-out
vsto take the bread out of someone's mouth
1 4.0

To force someone to leave a place, group or job

is about removing someone's livelihood, not merely exclusion from a group or place
to sack someone
vsto take the bread out of someone's mouth
  • UK
4.8

To stop employing someone, often suddenly as punishment

is about taking away someone's means to earn a living, not only dismissal
to give the axe
vsto take the bread out of someone's mouth
  • UK
7.4

To suddenly end someone's job or a relationship, often without warning

focuses on depriving livelihood in general rather than sudden termination only
to pull the rug out from under (someone/something)
vsto take the bread out of someone's mouth
8.4

To suddenly stop helping someone, leaving them in a difficult situation

can lead to loss of livelihood but focuses on support removal not direct deprivation

Antonyms

to provide
∞ 1.5

To give something people need or want

to support
753 1.4

Give money or other help so a person can live and study

How Harmful

to take the bread out of someone's mouth
  • Informal
1 8.2
to harm
738 1.0

Surface Forms

take the bread out of someone's mouth infinitive
took the bread out of someone's mouth past
taken the bread out of someone's mouth past participle
taking the bread out of someone's mouth present participle
takes the bread out of someone's mouth third person singular

Morphology

take + the + bread + out + of + someone's + mouth

The components combine in a reasonably predictable metaphor: 'take' (remove) + 'bread' (colloquial for earnings) + 'out of someone’s mouth' (the thing needed to be fed) yields depriving someone of their livelihood. However, the sense depends on figurative extensions (bread = money; mouth = means to be provided for) and some cultural knowledge, so the connection is not entirely literal or universally transparent.

Etymology

Take the bread out of someone's mouth comes from a simple image: if you take the bread out of someone's mouth, you stop them from eating or feeding their family. So the phrase means 'to take away someone's job or way to earn money'.