cut the legs out from under (someone)
Meaning(s)
1. spoil, weaken, or limit somebody's plan or position
Popularity
High
Professional
High
Social
How to Memorize
my boss cut the legs out from under me
Analysis
If you knock someone's legs hard they are likely to fall over. The idiom to cut someone's legs out from under them means to completely stop someone from doing something or to prevent them from achieving a goal.
Social Examples (Advance)
- The new law being debated in Congress was formulated with the sole aim of cutting the legs out from under the President.
- I when the landlord told me about the rent increase it was as if she cut the legs out from under me.
Professional Examples (Advance)
- Going into the takeover negotiations, we had the legs cut from under us when our recent poor sales record was leaked.
- My boss cut my legs out from under me when he assigned some of my usual responsibilities to another member of staff. Now I have much less influence over my department.