kick to the curb

idiomatic phrase

informal
: to rid oneself of (someone or something) in a summary way
He just got kicked to the curb from a team with Super Bowl aspirations.Jared Mueller
Well, a year done and another starting. Time to purge the negative and kick it to the curb.Dale Merrill
especially : to end a romantic relationship with (someone) in an abrupt and often callous way
The Smiths were also going through a rough patch and had separated. "I was done with you," Will said. "You kicked me to the curb," Jada replied. Laura Zornosa

Examples of kick to the curb in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
That means to the world to somebody who’s been thrown through the wringer and discarded and kicked to the curb. Sam Farmer, Los Angeles Times, 20 Sep. 2024 In a city that runs on hype, Albert was more interested in those who’d opted out, been left behind or were kicked to the curb by the dream factory. Jim Ruland, Los Angeles Times, 29 June 2024 So a lot of the Hip-Hop stories that were in my last book Music Is History kind of got kicked to the curb. Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 28 June 2024 The agreement, signed off on by the Legal Aid Society, takes pains to ensure that the most vulnerable people aren’t just kicked to the curb. New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 23 May 2024 However, if players give three wrong answers, they're kicked to the curb. Tanner Stransky, EW.com, 8 Apr. 2024 This trend has been going out of style for a while, and 2024 will definitely see it get kicked to the curb. Sarah Yang, Sunset Magazine, 2 Jan. 2024 Everything but author, translator, and title was kicked to the curb. Bradley Babendir, BostonGlobe.com, 14 Sep. 2023 Oregon State peaking right as it gets kicked to the curb feels unjust. Bill Oram, oregonlive, 1 Sep. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1984, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of kick to the curb was in 1984

Dictionary Entries Near kick to the curb

Cite this Entry

“Kick to the curb.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kick%20to%20the%20curb. Accessed 25 Dec. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!