Asked in: SSC Selection Post Ph-14 2026 (Graduate Level)
clip someone's wings in SSC previous-year questions
- SSC Selection Post Ph-14 2026 (Graduate Level) Idioms & Phrases
Identify the option in which the underlined idiom has been used incorrectly.
Answer & explanation
Answer: D) Intending to reward the ambitious young politician for his absolute loyalty, the party chairman **clipped his wings** by promoting him to the prestigious position of committee chair.
Meaning: clip someone's wings = to restrict someone's freedom, power or ambition *(पर कतरना, शक्ति सीमित करना)*.
In option 4 the chairman wants to reward the politician and promotes him to a prestigious post — that expands his power. The idiom says the opposite, so it is misused.
Correct use: *Afraid of his popularity, the chairman clipped his wings by moving him to a minor post.*
Origin.
Owners once trimmed a bird's flight feathers so it could not fly away.
Why the others are fine.
#B hold all the aces = to have every advantage in a contest *(सारे पत्ते हाथ में होना, पूरा पलड़ा भारी होना)* — owning the rival's patents and exclusive rights fits.
#B take a back seat = to step back and let o
clip someone's wings – questions
Has clip someone's wings been asked in SSC exams?
Yes – clip someone's wings has been asked in SSC exams: SSC Selection Post Ph-14 2026 (Graduate Level).