English · Idiom Attested

burn your bridges

In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.

Also seen as: burn one’s boats · burn one's bridges

Sense 1

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

To act in a way that makes returning to a previous situation or relationship impossible, often by leaving on bad terms.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Hành động khiến việc quay lại tình huống hoặc mối quan hệ trước đó trở nên không thể

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Literally: To burn the bridge you crossed so you cannot go back.

How to use it

✓ Use it when

Warning against unnecessarily destroying relationships when leaving.

Where it’s used: Used Widespread English

Examples

Quit if you must, but don’t burn your bridges — this industry is small.

Editorial example (illustrative, not a corpus attestation)

Sources & notes

Figurative class: Metaphor (PIE-English corpus, CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-31).

Sense 2

Meaning · English

Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.

Where it’s used: Used Widespread English

Sources & notes

Listed in Wiktionary’s “English idioms” category (retrieved 2026-07-29); definition pending editorial review.

Equivalents & related

Near equivalent qua cầu rút ván To discard the people who helped you once you no longer need them; to destroy the way back after getting what you wanted. Tiếng Việt Related ăn cháo đá bát To be ungrateful — to turn against or abandon the very person who helped you. Tiếng Việt · via qua cầu rút ván Related qua đò khinh sóng To scorn a danger once it is safely behind you — becoming dismissive or arrogant after hardship has passed. Tiếng Việt · via qua cầu rút ván

Lighter cards are two steps away in the meaning graph — equivalents of equivalents, reached via the entry shown on the card.

Common questions

What does “burn your bridges” mean?

To act in a way that makes returning to a previous situation or relationship impossible, often by leaving on bad terms. Literally: To burn the bridge you crossed so you cannot go back.

Is “burn your bridges” formal or informal?

burn your bridges is generally neutral; connotation: warning.

What is the closest equivalent?

“qua cầu rút ván” (Tiếng Việt) — near equivalent.