VOCABULARY - IDIOMS

Kick the Can Down the Road

Meaning:

  • To postpone dealing with a difficult situation or decision.
  • To delay taking action on a problem, often by finding temporary solutions.
  • To avoid responsibility for a problem by passing it on to someone else or to the future.

Examples:

  • The government decided to kick the can down the road on healthcare reform, delaying any major changes until after the next election.
  • Instead of addressing the budget shortfall now, the council chose to kick the can down the road and deal with it next year.
  • By kicking the can down the road on climate change, we are only making the problem worse for future generations.
  • The company decided to kick the can down the road regarding layoffs, hoping the market would improve soon.
  • He always kicks the can down the road when it comes to difficult conversations with his team.
  • The issue of school funding was kicked down the road once again, with no resolution in sight.
  • Rather than confront the pension crisis, the city opted to kick the can down the road, risking financial instability.
  • The board of directors decided to kick the can down the road on the merger decision.
  • They kicked the can down the road on infrastructure repairs, leading to more costly problems later.
  • The legislature kicked the can down the road on tax reform, avoiding immediate controversy.
  • The CEO's strategy was to kick the can down the road on addressing the company's declining profits.
  • By kicking the can down the road on immigration reform, lawmakers are failing to address the issue head-on.
  • The couple decided to kick the can down the road on discussing their financial problems.
  • The administration's response was to kick the can down the road regarding the cybersecurity threats.
  • The board kicked the can down the road on the decision to close underperforming branches.
  • By kicking the can down the road on the debt ceiling, Congress is creating uncertainty in the financial markets.
  • The manager's habit of kicking the can down the road frustrated the team.
  • They kicked the can down the road on implementing new safety regulations.
  • By kicking the can down the road on the trade deal, the country is missing out on potential economic benefits.
  • The company’s leadership decided to kick the can down the road on restructuring.
  • Kicking the can down the road on environmental policies will have long-term negative impacts.
  • Instead of tackling the software bugs now, the developer kicked the can down the road.
  • The committee’s decision to kick the can down the road on the policy changes was criticized.
  • By kicking the can down the road on the budget cuts, the school district is facing a larger crisis.
  • The international community continues to kick the can down the road on addressing global poverty.
  • The company keeps kicking the can down the road on upgrading their outdated software.
  • "We can't just keep kicking the can down the road on climate change," argued the activist.
  • He knew his bad spending habits would eventually catch up to him, but he kept kicking the can down the road.
  • The manager hoped a temporary fix would hold until a permanent solution could be found, essentially kicking the can down the road.
  • The politicians were criticized for kicking the can down the road on important legislation.
  • My roommate keeps kicking the can down the road on paying his share of the rent.
  • "Don't worry, I'll take care of it," she said, but everyone knew she was just kicking the can down the road.
  • The student kept putting off studying for the exam, effectively kicking the can down the road.
  • The mechanic offered a quick fix, but warned it wouldn't solve the underlying problem – just kicking the can down the road.
  • The decision on the new office building kept getting delayed, with everyone kicking the can down the road.
  • The couple kept arguing about having children, constantly kicking the can down the road.
  • "Let's brainstorm some solutions, not just kick the can down the road," suggested the team leader.
  • The doctor advised him to address his health issues now, not keep kicking the can down the road.
  • The city council meeting ended with no resolution, just more promises and kicking the can down the road.
  • The family business was struggling, but the owner kept kicking the can down the road with loans.
  • "We need to address the elephant in the room and stop kicking the can down the road," he said firmly.
  • The teenager kept making excuses for not cleaning his room, essentially kicking the can down the road.
  • The project deadline kept getting pushed back, with everyone involved kicking the can down the road.
  • The report revealed the company's unsustainable practices, a problem they had been kicking down the road for years.
  • The neighbor kept ignoring the leaky faucet, effectively kicking the can down the road and risking water damage.
  • The athlete postponed surgery on a nagging injury, hoping to compete one more season – kicking the can down the road.
  • She knew she should have a difficult conversation with her friend, but kept kicking the can down the road.
  • The country's infrastructure was crumbling, a problem multiple administrations had been kicking down the road.
  • The team decided to tackle the difficult task head-on, rather than kicking the can down the road for future employees.
  • Ignoring the car's warning lights wouldn't fix the underlying issue, it was just kicking the can down the road for a bigger problem.