snuff out

snuff out

1. To extinguish something, especially a flame. A noun or pronoun can be used between "snuff" and "out." She snuffed the flame of the candle out between her fingers. The system uses halon gas to snuff out fire before it has a chance to spread.

2. To put a sudden and conclusive end to something. A noun or pronoun can be used between "snuff" and "out." That loss snuffs out their chances of making it to the playoffs.

3. To kill someone. A noun or pronoun can be used between "snuff" and "out." He was planning on going to the police, but the criminals snuffed him out before he had the chance. Tragically, he was snuffed out in his prime by cancer.

See also: out, snuff

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

snuff someone out

Sl. to kill someone. Max really wanted to snuff the eyewiteness out, once and for all. Lefty wanted to snuff out his partner.

See also: out, snuff

snuff something out

to extinguish something, such as a flame. she snuffed all the candles out and went to bed. Karen snuffed out the flames one by one.

See also: out, snuff

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

snuff out

1. Extinguish, put a sudden end to, as in Three young lives were snuffed out in that automobile accident. This usage alludes to snuff in the sense of "put out a candle by pinching the wick," an area itself called snuff from the late 1300s on. [Mid-1800s]

2. Kill, murder, as in If he told the police, the gang would snuff him out. [Slang; first half of 1900s]

3. Also, snuff it. Die or be killed, as in He looked very ill indeed, as though he might snuff out any day, or Grandpa just snuffed it. [Slang; second half of 1800s]

See also: out, snuff

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

snuff out

v.

1. To extinguish something: The altar server snuffed out the candles. I saw her snuff a match out with her fingers.

2. To put a sudden end to something: The war has snuffed out many young lives. I had a promising career as a dancer, but a tragic injury snuffed it out.

3. Slang To kill someone; murder someone: The police accused the widow of snuffing out her husband. The gangsters snuffed him out before he could testify in court.

See also: out, snuff

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs. Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

snuff someone (out)

tv. to kill someone. Max really wanted to snuff the eyewitness out, once and for all.

See also: out, snuff, someone

McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.