The idiom "burn one’s bridges" means to do something that makes it impossible to go back to a previous situation or relationship. It means to cut off all ties with someone or something, often in a way that is final and irreversible.
For example, if you quit your job in a fit of anger and tell your boss exactly what you think of them, you have burned your bridges with that employer. You have made it impossible to go back to that job or work with that boss again.
The phrase is often used to describe a situation where someone has taken a drastic action that has closed off any possibility of returning to a previous state of affairs. It can also refer to burning bridges in personal relationships, such as ending a friendship or a romantic relationship in a way that makes it impossible to reconcile.
In summary, "burn one’s bridges" is an idiom that means to do something that makes it impossible to go back to a previous situation or relationship. It is a final and irreversible action that cuts off all ties with someone or something.
• I don't want to burn my bridges with my old friends, so I'll keep in touch with them even if I move to a different city.
• The CEO burned his bridges with the board of directors by making a controversial decision without consulting them.
• If you speak rudely to your colleagues, you could burn your bridges and miss out on future job opportunities.
• My cousin quit his job without notice, and now he has burned his bridges with his employer.
• She burned her bridges with her former business partners by starting a competing company in the same industry.
• It's not a good idea to burn your bridges with your family, even if you have disagreements with them.