How to Pronounce "close the stable door after the horse has bolted"
expression
Definition
To try to prevent something bad after it has already happened, when it is too late to make a difference.
IPA Transcription
American English
ˈkɫoʊs/, /ˈkɫoʊz/ /ˈðə/, /ðə/, /ði/ /ˈsteɪbəɫ/ /ˈdɔɹ/ /ˈæftɝ/ /ˈðə/, /ðə/, /ði/ /ˈhɔɹs/ /ˈhæz/, /həz/ /ˈboʊɫtəd/, /ˈboʊɫtɪd
British English
kləʊz/ /ðə, ði/ /stˈeɪbəl/ /dˈɔː/ /ˈɑːftɐ/ /ðə, ði/ /hˈɔːs/ /hˈæz/ /bˈəʊltɪd
Simplified Pronunciation
US
KLOHS (or KLOHZ) thuh STAY-buhl DOR AF-ter thuh HORS HAZ (or huz) BOHL-tid
UK
KLOHZ thuh (or thee) STAY-buhl DAW AHF-tuh thuh (or thee) HAWSE HAZ BOHL-tid
Listen in Context
It's pointless to close the stable door after the horse has bolted; the files are already gone.
They tried to fix the leak, but it was closing the stable door after the horse had bolted.
You can't close the stable door after the horse has bolted—next time, be prepared.
Introducing new safety rules now is just closing the stable door after the horse has bolted.