Definition, Meaning & Synonyms

burn-your-boats

idiom
/bɜrn jʊr boʊts/
Definition
To make a decision that eliminates any possibility of retreat or reconsideration.
Examples
  • After deciding to move abroad for a job, she felt like she had to burn her boats and leave her old life behind.
  • The team’s decision to invest all their savings in the project was a classic case of burning their boats.
Meaning
This phrase refers to a commitment to a course of action with no option to go back, often used in the context of taking radical steps.
Synonyms
  • Cut the ties
  • Make a one-way decision
  • Sever all connections