Definition, Meaning & Synonyms
to throw the baby out with the bath water
idiomatic expression
/tə θroʊ ðə ˈbeɪbi aʊt wɪð ðə bæθ ˈwɔtər/
Definition
To discard something valuable while eliminating things that are unwanted.
Examples
- In his efforts to cut costs, the manager ended up throwing the baby out with the bath water by eliminating key staff members.
- Don’t throw the baby out with the bath water when trying to reform the system; some old practices are still beneficial.
Meaning
This phrase implies that in the process of getting rid of the bad or undesirable aspects, one may unintentionally remove something good or essential as well.
Synonyms
- cutting off one’s nose to spite one’s face
- losing the good with the bad
- overreacting
