can it

idiom
UK: /kæn ɪt/
US: /kæn ɪt/

  1. To tell someone to be quiet or stop talking.

    1. I'm trying to concentrate, so can it for a minute, please. [ ] [ ]
    2. He wouldn't stop complaining, so I told him to can it; I couldn't take it anymore. [ ] [ ]
can it phrasal-verb

  1. To stop doing or saying something.

    1. Can it with the jokes; this is a serious matter. [ ] [ ]
    2. If you can it with the negativity, we might actually get somewhere with this project. [ ] [ ]

Frequently Asked Questions

The phonetic transcription of "can it" is /kæn ɪt/ in British English and /kæn ɪt/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Example usage of "can it": "I'm trying to concentrate, so can it for a minute, please.". More examples on the page.