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throw caution to the wind

to act recklessly

In Idioms & Sayings

In more detail

(idiom) to stop being careful and to do something risky or dangerous without worrying about the consequences

Examples

• After years of playing it safe, she decided to throw caution to the wind and start her own business.

How to use throw caution to the wind

This idiom describes a decisive moment when someone deliberately ignores warnings or potential dangers to pursue something desired or exciting. It conveys a sense of liberation mixed with recklessness and is used to characterize both impulsive decisions and deliberate bold choices. The tone is often slightly dramatic or emphatic, appearing frequently in narratives about personal turning points or adventurous undertakings.

Register: informal

Common phrases

• throw caution to the wind and do something
• decided to throw caution to the wind
• threw caution to the wind
• throw caution to the wind entirely

Synonyms

take a risk · disregard danger · act recklessly · abandon prudence · take the plunge

Opposites

play it safe · exercise caution · proceed carefully

A common mistake

Learners sometimes say 'throw caution in the wind' or 'throw caution to the winds' (with plural); the standard form is 'to the wind' (singular).

Nearby in Idioms & Sayings

sit tight, steal someone's thunder, the whole nine yards, turn a blind eye, water under the bridge, when pigs fly

Keep going

How to remember the words you read · Spaced repetition, explained