putting the cart before the horse

A form of put the cart before the horse — To put things in the wrong order or with the wrong priorities; to put something inconsequential as more important than something more essential.

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Meanings

verb
  1. gerundparticiplepresentpresent participle and gerund of put the cart before the horse
Cite this entry
APA

putting the cart before the horse. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/putting%20the%20cart%20before%20the%20horse

MLA

“putting the cart before the horse.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/putting%20the%20cart%20before%20the%20horse. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “putting the cart before the horse,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/putting%20the%20cart%20before%20the%20horse.

Source: putting the cart before the horse on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.