breathe down someone's neck

Idioms & Phrases

breathe down someone's neck

  1. Pursue someone closely; pose a threat to one, as in The immigration authorities were breathing down his neck. [Mid-1900s]

  2. Watch or supervise someone very closely, as in The boss is always breathing down our necks. [Mid-1900s]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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