take the wind out of sails

take the wind out of someone's sails

Fig. to challenge someone's boasting or arrogance. John was bragging about how much money he earned until he learned that most of us make more. That took the wind out of his sails. Learning that one has been totally wrong about something can really take the wind out of one's sails.

See also: out, sail, take, wind

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take the wind out of somebody's sails

to make someone feel less confident or less determined to do something, usually by saying or doing something that they are not expecting I was going to tell him the relationship was over when he greeted me with a big bunch of flowers and it rather took the wind out of my sails.

See break wind, run like the wind, see which way the wind is blowing

See also: out, sail, take, wind

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take the wind out of your sails

to make you feel less confident or determined I was really mad at him, but he greeted me with flowers, which immediately took the wind out of my sails.

Etymology: based on the literal meaning of take the wind out of someone's sails (to slow down a competing boat by catching the wind in your own sails and preventing it from filling the other boat's sails)

See also: out, sail, take, wind