stamp out — eradicate (figurative)
phrasal verbC1IELTS 7+neutraloccasional
to completely get rid of something bad, such as a problem, habit, or harmful practice, especially by taking strong action
Say it like a native
Textbook The government aims to eradicate corruption entirely.
Native The government wants to stamp out corruption.
'Stamp out' is the punchy verb for wiping out something bad through strong action; 'eradicate' is formal.
Pattern: stamp out + noun
In use
- The government is determined to stamp out tax evasion.society
- If we want to improve public health, we need to stamp out smoking among young people.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ We must stamp out with bullying.
✓ We must stamp out bullying.
'Stamp out' takes the object directly — no 'with'.
Common collocations
stamp out + evil— corruption, bullying, the disease, crime
Don't confuse it
Unlike the literal sense of 'stamp' (pressing your foot down), this sense is figurative and refers to eliminating something undesirable, not to the physical action.