put the cart before the horse
idiom
: to do things in the wrong order
People are putting the cart before the horse by making plans on how to spend the money before we are even certain that the money will be available.
Examples of put the cart before the horse in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Bridges doesn’t want to put the cart before the horse.
—
Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 9 July 2024
The Knicks, however, can’t put the cart before the horse, and while the Rangers advanced to the conference finals, the other team at Madison Square Garden still had business to handle.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 17 May 2024
The Port of Oakland has the right idea but is trying to put the cart before the horse.
—Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 17 Apr. 2024
The focus on technological and policy solutions to climate has put the cart before the horse, and in doing so, created a solutions framework that is hopelessly inadequate.
—Heather Souvaine Horn, The New Republic, 6 Jan. 2023
An important finding of the NAS Committee is that DOE’s current analytical approach may put the cart before the horse.
—Susan E. Dudley, Forbes, 18 Jan. 2022
By releasing its guidance before the data used to justify it, the CDC didn't so much put the cart before the horse as uncouple them entirely.
—Joel Mathis, The Week, 30 July 2021
Buckner doesn’t want to put the cart before the horse.
—Jon Blau, The Indianapolis Star, 30 Mar. 2021
What’s going on is a league that put the cart before the horse.
—Kyle Newman, The Denver Post, 7 July 2020
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Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 9 July 2024
The Knicks, however, can’t put the cart before the horse, and while the Rangers advanced to the conference finals, the other team at Madison Square Garden still had business to handle.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 17 May 2024
The Port of Oakland has the right idea but is trying to put the cart before the horse.
—Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 17 Apr. 2024
The focus on technological and policy solutions to climate has put the cart before the horse, and in doing so, created a solutions framework that is hopelessly inadequate.
—Heather Souvaine Horn, The New Republic, 6 Jan. 2023
An important finding of the NAS Committee is that DOE’s current analytical approach may put the cart before the horse.
—Susan E. Dudley, Forbes, 18 Jan. 2022
By releasing its guidance before the data used to justify it, the CDC didn't so much put the cart before the horse as uncouple them entirely.
—Joel Mathis, The Week, 30 July 2021
Buckner doesn’t want to put the cart before the horse.
—Jon Blau, The Indianapolis Star, 30 Mar. 2021
What’s going on is a league that put the cart before the horse.
—Kyle Newman, The Denver Post, 7 July 2020
Cite this Entry
“Put the cart before the horse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/put%20the%20cart%20before%20the%20horse. Accessed 16 May. 2025.
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