Meaning & use
kicks down the road
Last updated
Meaning
phraseidiominformal
To delay dealing with a problem or making a decision, usually by putting it off to a later time.
Grammar: Often used with 'something' as the object: 'kick the problem down the road.' The object can also be omitted: 'They keep kicking down the road.'
Patterns
- kick something down the road
- kick the can down the road
- keep kicking something down the road
The government has been kicking the issue of tax reform down the road for years.
Instead of fixing the leak, they just kicked the problem down the road and hoped it would go away.
We can't keep kicking the decision down the road; we need to choose a supplier by Friday.
Common combinations
- kick the can down the road
- Politicians often kick the can down the road instead of making tough choices.
- kick the problem down the road
- The manager kicked the problem down the road, leaving it for the next team.
- keep kicking something down the road
- They keep kicking the budget cuts down the road, but eventually they'll have to act.
- kick the decision down the road
- Let's not kick the decision down the road; we should decide today.
Synonyms and how they differ
- postpone
- More formal and neutral; it simply means to move something to a later time, without the idea of avoiding a problem.
- put off
- Similar in meaning but more general; it can be used for any delay, not just for avoiding a difficult issue.
- procrastinate
- Focuses on delaying because of laziness or habit, often used for personal tasks, not for official decisions.
Opposites
Commonly confused: kicks down the road or kick the bucket?
kicks down the road vs kick the bucket
A different idiom meaning 'to die.' It is informal and humorous, but not related to delaying.
Practice
The company has been _____ the safety upgrades down the road for too long.
Choose one answer.
The present perfect continuous 'has been kicking' is correct because the action started in the past and is still continuing. 'Kicked' would be simple past, which doesn't fit with 'has been.' 'Kick' and 'kicks' are not correct with 'has been.'
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “kicks down the road”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.