put the boot in

verb

To kick a fallen opponent.

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Meanings

verbput the boot in (third-person singular simple present puts the boot in, present participle putting the boot in, simple past and past participle put the boot in)

present singular third person puts the boot in · participle present putting the boot in

  1. idiomaticintransitiveslangTo kick a fallen opponent.
  2. figurativelyintransitiveslangTo kick someone when they are down.

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
add fuel to the fireaggravatecompoundmake matters worserub salt in the wound
Cite this entry
APA

put the boot in. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/put%20the%20boot%20in

MLA

“put the boot in.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/put%20the%20boot%20in. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “put the boot in,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/put%20the%20boot%20in.

Source: put the boot in on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.