ride roughshod over

Idioms and Phrases

Act without regard for the feelings or interests of others, as in She just forges on, riding roughshod over her colleagues . This term alludes to the practice of arming horses with horseshoes mounted with projecting nails or points, which both gave them better traction and served as a weapon against fallen enemy soldiers. By 1800 it was being used figuratively for bullying behavior.

Example Sentences

Foreign Secretary David Lammy said the UK would not sit “idly by whilst Putin and his mafia state ride roughshod over international law, including the Chemical Weapons Convention”.

From BBC

The remark was seen as a warning shot to the prime minister that an attempt to ride roughshod over the League and Forza Italia could undermine the six-month-old government and Meloni's grip on power.

From Reuters

"Developers are being allowed to ride roughshod over the needs of communities and the environment and this has got to stop," he added.

From BBC

In recent months, the U.S. has taken a strident tone against El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele, whom it accuses of using his popularity to amass power and ride roughshod over democratic checks and balances.

From Seattle Times

He said ministers used to "walk" if they briefed about a Budget, and he warned the government not to "ride roughshod over this House".

From BBC

Related Words

• crush
• encroach
• flatten
• hurt
• infringe
• injure
• override
• overwhelm
• run over
• squash
• step on
• stomp
• violate