nip something in the bud

뜻

to stop a problem at an early stage before it grows

문제가 커지기 전에 초기에 막다.

예문

1. 1If a child starts telling lies, it's best to nip it in the bud.
2. 2The manager heard the gossip about job cuts and nipped it in the bud at once.
3. 3Aisha noticed a small leak under the sink and nipped it in the bud before it damaged the floor.
4. 4We need to nip this in the bud now, or every student will start using phones in class.
5. 5Why didn't the council nip it in the bud when the first few people dumped rubbish there?

문법

nip만 형태가 바뀐다: nips, nipping, nipped. something 자리에는 it이나 this 같은 짧은 목적어가 온다.