- Home
- Idioms
- take the heat off
take the heat off
take the heat off (of) someone or something
Fig. to relieve the pressure on someone or something. (Of is usually retained before pronouns.) That really takes the heat off of all of us. The change in the deadline takes the heat off the office staff.
take the heat off somebody
to stop people criticizing or attacking someone If your deputy admitted responsibility and resigned, it would take a lot of the heat off you.