close the books

/klˈəʊs ðə bˈʊks/

/klˈoʊs ðə bˈʊks/

[phrase]

to close the books

[PHRASE]

to no longer make new entries when an accounting period is at its end

to [close] the books definition and meaning

What is the origin of the idiom "close the books" and when to use it?

The idiom "close the books" comes from the accounting or financial world, where it refers to the process of finalizing a company's financial records at the end of an accounting period. It is typically used in a business or financial context to describe the completion of a particular accounting period.

close the book on sth

/klˈəʊs ðə bˈʊks ˌɒn ˌɛstˌiːˈeɪtʃ/

/klˈoʊs ðə bˈʊks ˌɑːn ˌɛstˌiːˈeɪtʃ/

[phrase]

to close the book on sth

[PHRASE]

to put an end to something, particularly something bad, that has been going on for some time

Examples

1. By the time they realized they needed to close the books, it was already too late.

2. The accounting team worked long hours to close the books for the year and meet the deadline.

3. Closing the books will not do them any good.

4. Investigators say DNA has helped close the books on two unsolved murders in California in the late 1980s .

Nearby words

close the stable door after the horse has bolted