close the stable door after the horse has bolted
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Also seen as: shut the barn door after the horse has bolted · lock the barn door after the horse is stolen
Meaning · English
To take precautions only after the damage has already happened.
Literally: To shut the stable door once the horse has already escaped.
How to use it
✓ Use it when
Criticizing safeguards that arrive too late.
Register: neutralConnotation: criticalEra: Medieval origin – present
Where it’s used:
Used
Widespread English
More common
British & Irish English
More common
American English
• “stable door” wording • “barn door” wording
Examples
Adding backups after losing the data is closing the stable door after the horse has bolted.
Editorial example (illustrative, not a corpus attestation)
Equivalents & related
Common questions
What does “close the stable door after the horse has bolted” mean?
To take precautions only after the damage has already happened. Literally: To shut the stable door once the horse has already escaped.
Is “close the stable door after the horse has bolted” formal or informal?
close the stable door after the horse has bolted is generally neutral; connotation: critical.
What is the closest equivalent?
“mất bò mới lo làm chuồng” (Tiếng Việt) — direct equivalent.