Select the best meaning of the idiom “Nip in the bud”:

Correct answer: Suppress something at an early stage. To nip something in the bud is to stop it at an early stage before it grows.

Background: The idiom comes from gardening, where a bud is nipped off before it can flower.

• Punish the opposition: Punishing the opposition is not the meaning.
• Hide a secret: Hiding a secret is not the meaning.
• Fight with younger: Fighting someone younger is not the meaning.

Did you know? It means dealing with a problem early before it grows.

Memory trick: Nip the bud = stop it while it is tiny.