This page is about the idiom nip it in the bud. Meaning: If you nip something in the bud, you stop a problem from becoming serious by dealing with it as soon as you notice it. For example Alan has a serious weight problem. Now he wishes he'd nipped it in the bud by eating less and exercising more when he was first starting to put on weight. I was starting to drink too much alcohol, so I nipped it in the bud and stopped drinking altogether before it became a serious problem. Origin: This is a metaphorical idiom based on the fact that if you want to stop a plant from growing bigger, you can cut off the new leaf buds or flower buds, or "nip the buds".

Source: English club