nip something in the bud
CUT SHORT, curtail, check, curb, thwart, frustrate, stop, halt, arrest, stifle, obstruct, block, squash, quash, subdue, crack down on, stamp out, put the kibosh on
nip in the bud
to prevent a small problem from getting worse by stopping it soon after it starts

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲