in at the death

Idioms and Phrases

Also, in at the finish or kill . Involved in or present at the end, especially a disastrous end but sometimes merely the climax of an important event. For example, He had a hand in their breakup, but he didn't want to be in at the death , or They've done really well this year, and we want to be in at the kill . These expressions originally alluded to hunters and hounds being present at the death of a fox they had run to ground. [First half of 1700s]