English Explanatory Dictionary

close the stable door after the horse has bolted

English dictionary entry

Meanings

verb
  1. To attempt to prevent a problem that has already occurred; to design and implement a preventive mechanism that is too late (after the first failure instead of before).

Pronunciation

en-au-close the stable door after the horse has bolted.ogg

Word forms

close the stable door after the horse has bolted closes the stable door after the horse has bolted closing the stable door after the horse has bolted closed the stable door after the horse had bolted

Synonyms

close the barn door after the horse has bolted close the stable door after the horse has been stolen lock the stable door after the horse has been stolen lock the stable door after the horse has bolted shut the stable door after the horse has bolted

Related words

barn door horsebarn late in the day put the genie back in the bottle Scarborough warning that ship has sailed too little, too late unring a bell
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