悬崖勒马 (xuán yá lè mǎ) — to stop a dangerous or wrong action just before it leads to disaster; (literal) to rein in the horse at the cliff's edge
Definition
A chengyu meaning to pull back at the last second from a course of action that would lead to ruin. Often used as a warning or a plea to stop before disaster strikes.
idiom
to stop a dangerous or wrong action just before it leads to disaster(literal) to rein in the horse at the cliff's edge
Examples
- ，悬崖勒马。Tā xiàn zài gǎi zhèng hái lái de jí, zhēn shì xuán yá lè mǎ.It's not too late for him to correct his mistake now — truly reining in at the cliff's edge.
- 悬崖勒马，。Qǐ yè bì xū xuán yá lè mǎ, fǒu zé jiù huì pò chǎn.The company must stop before it's too late, or it will go bankrupt.
- 悬崖勒马，。Wǒ quàn nǐ xuán yá lè mǎ, bié zài cān yù nà xiē wéi fǎ huó dòng le.I advise you to pull back before it's too late — stop participating in those illegal activities.
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