throw out the baby with the bathwater
phrase
: to discard or lose something useful or beneficial in the process of discarding or rejecting something unwanted
Cite this Entry
“Throw out the baby with the bathwater.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/throw%20out%20the%20baby%20with%20the%20bathwater. Accessed 12 Dec. 2025.
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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