that ship has sailed

alternative that ship has already sailed

1. That opportunity has already passed; it is too late to do anything about it.

   The point is I… I don't need this right now, OK. It, it's too late, I'm with somebody else, I'm happy. This ship has sailed.

   1995 November, “The One Where Ross Finds Out”, in Friends, season 2, episode 7 (television production), spoken by Ross Geller (David Schwimmer)

   2 more examples

   Let me make it plain that I am not urging a return to fixed rates. That ship has sailed. The example, however, should serve to make us cautious when taking other fundamental steps in the future. That brings me to a subject of more current interest in the deregulation debate, the establishment of a national market system.

   1979, Lawrence G. Goldberg, Lawrence J. White, editors, The Deregulation of the Banking and Securities Industries, Lexington Books, →ISBN, page 137

   It’s a comedy-drama called Three Weeks; we’re shooting this autumn and it’s my directorial debut, which is exciting. It’s about a woman coming to terms with the fact that she doesn’t want to be a mother. She’s in her 30s, realising the truth of watching that ship sail as a choice.

   2023 August 13, Michael Hogan, quoting Susan Wokoma, “Actor Susan Wokoma: ‘We all want to be married to Emma Thompson, don’t we?’”, in The Observer

   Synonyms: that train has left the station