kiss of death

plural kisses of death

1. A kiss on the cheek that signifies the death of the receiver, as delivered by a mob boss or one with such influence.
2. idiomaticinformalSomething that may seem good and favorable but that actually brings ruin to hopes, plans, etc.

   The role in the soap opera was the kiss of death for Ann's career as a theatrical actress.

   1 more example

   Confronted with the savage defenses, many of the Japanese pilots flinched. Failure to hold formation was the kiss of death. As they reached the crucial moment of decision—push ahead and drop the torpedo, or lose nerve and turn away—most chose the latter. Turning, they lost airspeed and showed their bellies to the hungry Navy gunners, and that was it. The twenties and forties lit them like fuses. The five-inch guns "seemed to literally hammer them down," Captain Hoover of the Helena remarked.

   2011, James D. Hornfischer, “26: Suicide”, in Neptune's Inferno: The U.S. Navy at Guadalcanal, New York: Bantam Books, →ISBN, retrieved 17 Dec 2022, page 256