Each week of 2017 we present an English idiom.
“to nip (something) in the bud”: to stop something before it becomes larger/worse; etwas im Keim(e) ersticken, etwas abwürgen
Learn more about this idiom, including its origins, from a podcast by the BBC.
Example 1: Management nipped the growing conflict between the two employees in the bud by bringing in a mediator to help them work out their differences and find common ground.
Example 2: If we don’t nip the negative customer reviews in the bud, we’re going to lose potential customers.
