“The Horse Is Out Of The Barn” – Meaning & Synonyms

Many idiomatic expressions in the English Language can be hard to interpret even when looking at the context in which they are used. “The horse is out of the barn,” is one such expression. Here we discuss what it means and when to use it.

What Does “The Horse Is Out Of The Barn” Mean?

When someone says “the horse is out of the barn,” they are basically saying that the time has passed for something to happen or that it’s now too late to perform the action in question. In other words, a chance has been missed or a change can’t be made.

A lot of the idiomatic phrases in American English follow this same theme of agriculture or farming to relay the point they are trying to make. Perhaps this is because farming was so prevalent throughout much of American history.

Other more modern variations of the phrase that you’ll often hear have moved away from using the farming lingo, but still mean similar or the same things.

Examples Of How To Use “The Horse Is Out Of The Barn” In A Sentence

You can use “the horse is out of the barn” in a sentence when you want to indicate a missed chance or opportunity, something has been revealed that shouldn’t have been, or that someone is too late to change something that has happened.

Here are some examples that show relevant usage of this idiomatic phrase.

• I didn’t intend for the party to get so big so fast, but the horse is out of the barn now and we can’t tell people that they have to leave.
• Maria was supposed to keep what I told her a secret but she told a few friends in the neighborhood and now that the horse is out of the barn, more and more people are bound to find out.

You can also reword the phrase and say “the horse has left the barn” which means the same thing and is used in the same way as “the horse is out of the barn.” Here are some examples that demonstrate that they are interchangeable.

• Mrs. Dodson never intends to buy so many gifts for her daughter, but once the horse has left the barn and she starts buying things, she just cannot bring herself to stop.
• When I asked my mother if I should have waited to tell my boss that I was thinking of moving across the country, she said “well, the horse is out of the barn now, isn’t it?”

“The Horse Is Out Of The Barn” – Synonyms

There are many other similar vernacular phrases that one can use to mean the same things as “the horse is out of the barn.” Some of the most popular ones include:

• That ship has sailed
• That train has left the station
• Missed the boat

That Ship Has Sailed

Use the phrase “that ship has sailed” to indicate that a possibility or an action that once existed no longer exists or has a low probability of now being able to be changed.

• I always had the dream of going to medical school and becoming a doctor, but now that I’ve been out of school for so long and busy with life, I feel as though that ship has sailed.
• Jack knew all along that he wanted to propose to his girlfriend, but she got tired of waiting and they broke up, so now that ship has sailed.

That Train Has Left The Station

The “train has left the station” is another informal conversational phrase that also means an option, an opportunity, or a choice is no longer available or possible.

• We had our eye on purchasing that house down the road, but it went under contract so quickly we didn’t have the chance and now that train has left the station.
• I was on vacation when they offered me the job and didn’t get the voicemail so they thought I wasn’t interested and offered it to someone else. Well, I guess that train has left the station now.

Missed The Boat

If someone has “missed the boat” it means that they lost the chance or opportunity to do something or made a mistake because they misunderstood what was needed.

• Jake definitely missed the boat when he decided not to try out for the soccer team. All of his friends made it and now he wishes he could play too.
• The teacher said that I really missed the boat on the essay requirements and that was the reason that I received such a bad grade.