send (one) packing
(redirected from they have sent someone packing)send (one) packing
To dismiss or send one away rudely or abruptly. When it became clear he was only interested in making a profit for himself, we sent him packing. I was only five minutes late, but the boss sent me packing nonetheless.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2015 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
send someone packing
Fig. to send someone away; to dismiss someone, possibly rudely. I couldn't stand him anymore, so I sent him packing. The maid proved to be so incompetent that I had to send her packing.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
send someone packing
INFORMALCOMMON If someone sends another person packing, they tell them very forcefully to leave a place, or to leave their job. The footballer was sent packing after a very public row with the coach. Lowe sent him packing after finding out about his lies.
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed. © HarperCollins Publishers 2012
send someone packing
make someone leave in an abrupt or peremptory way. informalFarlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017
send somebody ˈpacking
(informal) tell somebody firmly or rudely to go away because they are annoying or disturbing you; dismiss somebody from a job: He wanted to borrow money off me, but I sent him packing. ♢ They caught him stealing company property and he was sent packing.Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017
send packing
To dismiss (someone) abruptly.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
send packing, to
To dismiss summarily. The term has been around since the sixteenth century. Robert Browning used it in “The Pied Piper of Hamelin” (1842): “Sure as fate, we’ll send you packing.”
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer Copyright © 2013 by Christine Ammer