nip in the bud

The phrase "nip in the bud" means to stop or curtail something at an early stage before it becomes more serious or grows out of control. It implies taking swift action to prevent a problem or undesirable situation from developing further. The origin of this phrase comes from the practice of pruning plants by cutting off buds or shoots to prevent them from growing into larger branches or flowers that can potentially cause more harm or take more effort to remove.