student asking question

What does "kick someone/something to the curb" mean?

teacher

Native speaker’s answer

Rebecca

"Kick someone to the curb" is an informal phrase that refers to rejecting or abandoning someone. A "curb" is the cement edge that goes along a road, so this phrase refers to getting rid of someone from your life as though you are sending them to the "street". You can also "kick" an object "to the curb" (which refers to getting rid of an object). Ex: I lost my job today, my boss decided to kick me to the curb. Ex: I kicked that sofa to the curb, it was completely ripped up.

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