punch someone's ticket: meaning & examples

Meanings:

• 1.

  North Americaninformal
  • To cause someone's removal, dismissal, or downfall, often decisively and finally.
  • To bring about the end of someone's position, career, or prospects.

  Examples

  Beta

  • The scandal finally punched the politician’s ticket, ending his career abruptly.

    El escándalo finalmente acabó con la carrera del político de forma abrupta.

  • When the company lost the major client, it punched the CEO’s ticket, forcing him to resign.

    Cuando la empresa perdió al cliente principal, eso provocó la salida del CEO, obligándolo a renunciar.

  • His poor performance at work punched his ticket for dismissal last week.

    Su bajo rendimiento en el trabajo causó su despido la semana pasada.

• 2.

  North Americaninformalcolloquialslang
  • To kill or arrange for the death of someone; to eliminate someone permanently.

  Examples

  Beta

  • The mafia is rumored to have punched the rival’s ticket after a violent confrontation.

    Se rumorea que la mafia eliminó al rival tras un enfrentamiento violento.

  • He feared that his enemies were planning to punch his ticket once he crossed the line.

    Temía que sus enemigos planearan acabar con él una vez que cruzara la línea.

  • The story suggests the villain punched several characters’ tickets to secure power.

    La historia sugiere que el villano eliminó a varios personajes para asegurar el poder.

• 3.

  generalneutral
  • (Literal, non‑idiomatic) To validate or mark a travel ticket by punching a hole or stamp.

  Examples

  Beta

  • Before boarding the train, the conductor punched everyone’s ticket to validate their journey.

    Antes de abordar el tren, el conductor perforó el boleto de todos para validar su viaje.

  • She punched her ticket at the entrance kiosk and found her seat quickly.

    Ella validó su boleto en el quiosco de entrada y encontró su asiento rápidamente.

  • The clerk punched the ticket carefully to avoid damaging the important travel document.

    El empleado perforó el boleto cuidadosamente para no dañar el importante documento de viaje.