Phrase guide

put the genie back in the bottle

verb · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

verb

Meaning 1

To revert a situation; to put things back as they were before something (usually an unwelcome thing) became a reality.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: idiomatic

Examples

  • Near-synonym: unring a bell
  • People are very worried about artificial intelligence, but there's no way now to put the genie back in the bottle.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: put the cork back in the bottle, put the toothpaste back in the tube, unring a bell

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.