TAKE THE WIND OUT OF ONE'S SAILS Definition & Meaning

View synonyms for take the wind out of one's sails

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Idioms and Phrases

Hamper or stop one, put one at a disadvantage, as in When they announced they were doing the same study as ours, it took the wind out of our sails , or The applause for the concertmaster took the wind out of the conductor's sails . This expression alludes to sailing to windward of another ship, thereby robbing it of wind for its sails. [Early 1800s]

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April 18, 2024petrichor

[pet-ri-kawr]

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023