pull the ladder up behind oneself

== English == === Etymology === Coined by analogy with phrases such as make it to the top and climb the ladder that liken success to an upward struggle. === Pronunciation === === Verb === pull the ladder up behind oneself (third-person singular simple present pulls the ladder up behind oneself, present participle pulling the ladder up behind oneself, simple past and past participle pulled the ladder up behind oneself) (idiomatic) To prevent others from attaining or benefiting from the same advantages, opportunities, or rights as oneself. Alternative forms: pull the ladder up after oneself, pull up the ladder behind oneself, pull up the ladder Near-synonym: pull up the drawbridge For more quotations using this term, see Citations:pull the ladder up behind oneself.