snuff out

Idioms  

1. Extinguish, put a sudden end to, as in Three young lives were snuffed out in that automobile accident . This usage alludes to snuff in the sense of “put out a candle by pinching the wick,” an area itself called snuff from the late 1300s on. [Mid-1800s]

2. Kill, murder, as in If he told the police, the gang would snuff him out . [ Slang ; first half of 1900s]

3. Also, snuff it . Die or be killed, as in He looked very ill indeed, as though he might snuff out any day , or Grandpa just snuffed it . [ Slang ; second half of 1800s]

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Example Sentences

Vitinha, a stellar performer in PSG's Champions League win, was the decisive performer with two stunning strikes to snuff out the Spurs lead, one with his right foot another with his left.

From BBC

Stokes used himself as the fifth bowler, firstly snuffing out any suggestion of an Australia fightback then running through the long tail.

From BBC

A sharp increase in mortgage rates in 2022 snuffed out what had been a housing boom.

From The Wall Street Journal

"For a young girl to die in that way, her life snuffed out at the age of 15, it's just too sad for words."

From BBC

With Frankenstein, he worries he’ll jinx the monster by talking too much about him, snuffing out the ineffable thing that he says fueled his performance.

From The Wall Street Journal