miss the boat
English
editEtymology
editAllusion to failing to catch a boat in time, effectively “missing” the boat. Popular since the 1920s.
Verb
editmiss the boat (third-person singular simple present misses the boat, present participle missing the boat, simple past and past participle missed the boat)
- (intransitive) To fail to take advantage of an opportunity; to overlook or be too late to pursue an option or course of action.
- The price discount ended yesterday and I just missed the boat on a great deal.
- As for food delivery technology, our company missed the boat, the harbor, and the ocean.
Synonyms
editTranslations
editfail to take advantage of an opportunity
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