punched 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

   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