punch someone's ticket

Verb

punch someone's ticket (third-person singular simple present punches someone's ticket, present participle punching someone's ticket, simple past and past participle punched someone's ticket)

1. (North-America, idiomatic, often followed by to or for) To put someone, especially oneself, in a position to advance or to achieve a desired objective; to gain useful experience.
   • After building a business in the Texas oil world, Bush punched his ticket in the House of Representatives; served briefly as U.N. ambassador, Republican National Committee chairman and U.S. envoy to China; led the CIA for just under a year; ran for the GOP presidential nomination; joined Ronald...2015 November 13, Carlos Lozada, “DESTINY AND POWER: The American Odyssey of George Herbert Walker Bush”, in Washington Post, archived from the original on 24 Jun 2025
   • Just don't expect getting that promotion or winning that Pulitzer to punch your ticket to bliss.2019 May 28, A. C. Shilton, “You Accomplished Something Great. So Now What?”, in The New York Times, archived from the original on 08 Nov 2019, retrieved 08 Dec 2021

   Synonyms:

   get one's ticket punched

2. (North-America, idiomatic) To seriously harm or kill someone.
   • I always thought that if anyone ever broke into my house, that would be his last break-in. I'd get the gun and punch his ticket on the spot.1991 August 11, Paul Ciotti, “If He's Such a Hero, Why Does He Feel Like a Wimp?”, in Los Angeles Times, archived from the original on 10 Dec 2021, retrieved 08 Dec 2021
   • Phil put his arms around him. Drew him in close, pressed his cheek to Dane's the way the Mafiosi in the fifties would kiss somebody right before they punched his ticket.2006, Tom Piccirilli, Headstone City, Random House, →ISBN, retrieved 08 Dec 2021, page 189