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Kick the can down the road Meaning in English

expression

KIK thuh KAN down thuh ROHD
KIK thuh KAN down thuh ROHD

Definition

To delay dealing with a problem or making a decision, hoping to solve it later instead of now.

Usage & Nuances

Informal. Used for government, business, or personal issues being postponed. Implies avoidance or lack of courage to face a tough decision now. Not about literal cans—always metaphorical. Common with 'politicians', 'leaders', or 'companies'.

Spanish: posponer el problema - aplazar la decisiónPortuguese (BR): empurrar com a barriga - adiar o problemaPortuguese (PT): empurrar com a barriga - adiar o problemaChinese (Simplified): 拖延问题Chinese (Traditional): 拖延問題Hindi: समस्या को टालनाArabic: تأجيل المشكلة - المماطلةBengali: সমস্যা পিছিয়ে রাখা - সিদ্ধান্ত নেয়া এড়িয়ে যাওয়াRussian: откладывать решение - избегать решения проблемыJapanese: 問題を先送りにするVietnamese: trì hoãn giải quyết vấn đềKorean: 문제를 미루다 - 결정을 미루다Turkish: sorunu ertelemek - kararı ertelemekUrdu: مسئلہ ٹال دینا - فیصلہ مؤخر کرناIndonesian: menunda masalah - menunda keputusan

Example Sentences

The government decided to kick the can down the road instead of fixing the issue now.

basic

We can't just kick the can down the road every time there's a problem.

basic

If you kick the can down the road now, the problem will just get worse.

basic

Managers can't keep kicking the can down the road; clients want answers now.

natural

We ended up just kicking the can down the road during the meeting. Nothing actually changed.

natural

This company has a habit of kicking the can down the road instead of facing tough choices.

natural