expression, godan verb (-mu)
nip in the bud
Idiomatic expression meaning to stop something undesirable at an early stage before it becomes a bigger problem.
悪い習慣は早いうちに芽を摘むことが大切だ。
It's important to nip bad habits in the bud early.
問題の芽を摘むために
We took immediate measures to nip the problem in the bud.