In the following English idiom question, choose the option that best expresses the meaning of the phrase to nip in the bud.

Introduction / Context:
This question examines your understanding of a common English idiom, to nip in the bud. Idioms are fixed expressions whose meanings are not always obvious from the individual words. Competitive exams frequently test idioms because they reveal how well a candidate understands natural language, as used by fluent speakers. Knowing the meaning of this idiom helps you describe the idea of stopping a problem early, before it becomes serious.

Given Data / Assumptions:

The idiom given is: to nip in the bud.

We are not talking about real gardening; the expression is used figuratively.

Options include both literal and figurative meanings.

Exactly one option must capture the standard idiomatic meaning.

The context is general English usage.

Concept / Approach:

Originally, the phrase comes from gardening, where nipping or pinching off a bud prevents a plant from growing in a particular direction. In everyday language, the idiom was extended to mean stopping a problem, habit, or wrong action at a very early stage. The key idea is early prevention. Therefore, the correct option should express stopping something before it develops, rather than any act of cutting flowers in general. We compare each option against this central meaning.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall the figurative meaning: to take quick action at an early stage so that a small issue does not grow into a big problem. Step 2: Examine option a: To stop something at the start. This matches the idea of early prevention and fits the known meaning of the idiom. Step 3: Examine option b: To trim the flowers. This is a literal gardening action, not the figurative meaning. Step 4: Examine option c: To pluck the flowers. Again, this refers to removing flowers, not preventing a problem early. Step 5: Examine option d: To steal from a garden. This introduces a completely different idea of theft and has nothing to do with the idiom. Step 6: Examine option e: To decorate with buds. This is unrelated to early prevention or stopping a problem. Step 7: Confirm that only option a correctly captures the figurative use of the expression.

Verification / Alternative check:

Consider example sentences: The school decided to nip bullying in the bud by enforcing strict rules or If you see signs of corruption, you must nip it in the bud before it spreads. In both sentences, the idiom clearly means to prevent something at a very early stage. The phrase does not literally refer to flowers but uses the garden image to convey quick, decisive action.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

Option b (To trim the flowers) only captures a possible physical action with plants and misses the figurative sense.

Option c (To pluck the flowers) is also purely literal and unrelated to problem prevention.

Option d (To steal from a garden) introduces the idea of theft, which has no connection with the idiom.

Option e (To decorate with buds) suggests decoration and beauty rather than stopping something harmful early.

Common Pitfalls:

Some learners mistakenly focus on the words nip and bud and imagine any garden activity as a possible meaning. This leads them to pick options that describe cutting or plucking plants. However, idioms must be remembered as whole units whose meanings develop through usage, not by translating each word separately. It is helpful to associate the idiom with real life examples, such as stopping a bad habit in a child before it grows stronger, to remember the correct meaning.

Final Answer:

The idiom to nip in the bud means to stop something at the start.