close the stable door after the horse has bolted

verb

To attempt to prevent a problem that has already occurred; to design and implement a preventive mechanism that is too late (after the first failure instead of before).

Similar
close the barn door after the horse has boltedclose the stable door after the horse has been stolenlock the stable door after the horse has been stolenlock the stable door after the horse has boltedshut the stable door after the horse has bolted
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Meanings

verbclose the stable door after the horse has bolted (third-person singular simple present closes the stable door after the horse has bolted, present participle closing the stable door after the horse has bolted, simple past and past participle closed the stable door after the horse had bolted)

present singular third person closes the stable door after the horse has bolted · participle present closing the stable door after the horse has bolted · participle past closed the stable door after the horse had bolted · past closed the stable door after the horse had bolted

  1. idiomaticTo attempt to prevent a problem that has already occurred; to design and implement a preventive mechanism that is too late (after the first failure instead of before).

    We are now in an election period, with WhatsApp and closed Facebook groups being used, as we speak, in electoral campaigning, but the law has not changed since the DCMS Committee, on which I serve, raised these issues. We have yet another instance of shutting the door after the horse has bolted.

    2019 May 15, Ian C. Lucas, “WhatsApp Data Breach”, in parliamentary debates (House of Commons), column 242

    Synonyms: close the barn door after the horse has bolted, close the stable door after the horse has been stolen, lock the stable door after the horse has been stolen, lock the stable door after the horse has bolted, shut the stable door after the horse has bolted

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo attempt to prevent a problem that has already occurred; to design and implement a preventive mechanism that is too late (after the first failure instead of before).

Similar
close the barn door after the horse has boltedclose the stable door after the horse has been stolenlock the stable door after the horse has been stolenlock the stable door after the horse has boltedshut the stable door after the horse has bolted
Also see
close the barn door after the horse has boltedclose the stable door after the horse has been stolenlock the stable door after the horse has been stolenlock the stable door after the horse has boltedshut the stable door after the horse has bolted

Translations

Czech honit bycha
  • honit bychato attempt to prevent a problem that has already occurred
Dutch als het kalf verdronken is, dempt men de put, achter de feiten aanlopen
  • als het kalf verdronken is, dempt men de putto attempt to prevent a problem that has already occurred
  • achter de feiten aanlopento attempt to prevent a problem that has already occurred
Finnish haukotella kissan suussa
  • haukotella kissan suussato attempt to prevent a problem that has already occurred
French c'est de la moutarde après dîner
  • c'est de la moutarde après dînerto attempt to prevent a problem that has already occurred
German den Brunnen zudecken, wenn das Kind hineingefallen ist
  • den Brunnen zudecken, wenn das Kind hineingefallen istto attempt to prevent a problem that has already occurred
Hungarian eső után köpönyeg
  • eső után köpönyegto attempt to prevent a problem that has already occurred
Italian chiudere il recinto dopo che i buoi sono scappati, chiudere la stalla quando i buoi sono scappati
  • chiudere il recinto dopo che i buoi sono scappatito attempt to prevent a problem that has already occurred
  • chiudere la stalla quando i buoi sono scappatito attempt to prevent a problem that has already occurred
  • chiudere il cancello quando i buoi sono scappatito attempt to prevent a problem that has already occurred
Polish mądry Polak po szkodzie
  • mądry Polak po szkodzieto attempt to prevent a problem that has already occurred
Russian по́здно пить боржо́ми, когда́ по́чки отказа́ли
  • по́здно пить боржо́ми, когда́ по́чки отказа́ли (pózdno pitʹ boržómi, kogdá póčki otkazáli)to attempt to prevent a problem that has already occurred
Spanish a buenas horas mangas verdes
  • a buenas horas mangas verdesto attempt to prevent a problem that has already occurred
Tagalog aanhin pa ang damo kung patay na ang kabayo
  • aanhin pa ang damo kung patay na ang kabayoto attempt to prevent a problem that has already occurred
Turkish at çalındıktan sonra ahırın kapısını kapamak
  • at çalındıktan sonra ahırın kapısını kapamakto attempt to prevent a problem that has already occurred
Welsh codi pais ar ôl piso
  • codi pais ar ôl pisoto attempt to prevent a problem that has already occurred
Cite this entry
APA

close the stable door after the horse has bolted. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/close%20the%20stable%20door%20after%20the%20horse%20has%20bolted

MLA

“close the stable door after the horse has bolted.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/close%20the%20stable%20door%20after%20the%20horse%20has%20bolted. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “close the stable door after the horse has bolted,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/close%20the%20stable%20door%20after%20the%20horse%20has%20bolted.

Source: close the stable door after the horse has bolted on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.