put a lid on

idiom

1

: to stop (something) from growing or becoming worse

These changes are intended to put a lid on rising medical costs.

2

informal : to stop doing or saying (something)

He angrily told them to put a lid on their complaints.

I'm tired of listening to your complaints, so just put a lid on it!

3

: to cause the end or failure of (something)

The government used the army to put a lid on the rebellion.

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web

Skyrocketing mortgage rates put a lid on an ever-so-hot real estate market. —Susan Tompor, Detroit Free Press, 15 Mar. 2023

With James Bradberry, Darius Slay and C.J. Gardner-Johnson roaming in the secondary, the Eagles can put a lid on the big passing plays. —David Hill, New York Times, 12 Feb. 2023

That in turn has helped put a lid on surging gasoline prices. —Walé Azeez, CNN, 23 Nov. 2021

And as inflation expectations become entrenched, a greater effort is required to put a lid on it. —Fortune, 16 Nov. 2021

Doximity has rules that should put a lid on misinformation. —Olivia Solon, NBC News, 8 Aug. 2021

Stuck in a decades-long economic downturn with its consistent gusts of stagflation, administrations of all colors have relied on price freezes and currency controls to try to put a lid on inflation. —Agustino Fontevecchia, Forbes, 28 June 2021

By doing so, the U.S. can put a lid on inflation over the longer term and promote economic growth. —Apratim Gautam, Fortune, 4 Nov. 2022

Opposing defenses have operated in that scheme for a majority of the season as a way to, in essence, put a lid on the offense and keep everything in front of defenders to prevent big plays. —Andrew Gillis, cleveland, 22 Oct. 2022

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