the (old) heave-ho

noun phrase

informal
: the act of causing someone to leave a job, place, or relationship
The team's coach gave him the heave-ho for missing practices.
We got the old heave-ho when we couldn't pay the rent on our apartment.

Examples of the (old) heave-ho in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Rosario Dawson brings gravitas to the role of former Jedi Ahsoka Tano, who teams up with her rule breaker of an apprentice, Sabine (Natasha Liu Bordizzo), to give the heave-ho to the in-the-shadows Grand Admiral Thrawn and his ardent followers. Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 25 Jan. 2024 Harmon gave Nolte the heave-ho and Masariu escorted the still-enraged, still-muttering coach off the court, toward the locker room. The Indianapolis Star, 12 Jan. 2024 Home plate umpire Bruce Dreckman gave Francona the heave-ho after Cleveland’s skipper turned around and said something to third base umpire Malachi Moore. Joe Noga, cleveland, 5 Aug. 2023 As Democrats gave a handful of centrists the heave-ho, Republicans rejected some of their more strident MAGA candidates. Laura Vozzella, Washington Post, 21 June 2023 Now, there is no shortage of briefs laying out the statutory and constitutional arguments for giving Grutter the old heave-ho. William McGurn, WSJ, 31 Oct. 2022 There are few things more satisfying than taking a shaver to the cranium and giving your hair the old heave-ho. Popular Science, 24 Apr. 2020 For investors, that means buckling down and readying for the heave-ho of stormy seas and mixed returns for a few months yet. Q.ai - Powering A Personal Wealth Movement, Forbes, 11 Nov. 2022 Also getting the heave-ho, thankfully, is the outdated six-speed automatic found in the previous model. Nick Kurczewski, Car and Driver, 23 Sep. 2022

Dictionary Entries Near the (old) heave-ho

Cite this Entry

“The (old) heave-ho.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20%28old%29%20heave-ho. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!