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/Sounds like "keh" (as in "kept") + "MAHR" (as in "mark") + "LAHS" (as in "lava") + "NAH" (as in "nacho") + "behs" (as in "bed")/

Meaning

To burn your boats: make a fully irreversible commitment with no fallback option. The phrase recalls Hernan Cortes ordering his ships burned on the Mexican coast so his troops could not retreat. In Spain, quemar las naves means total, no-safety-net dedication to a path.

Examples

He quit his stable job to start his own company, no going back.

If you resign like that, you burn your bridges with that company for good.

Regional synonyms

In Guatemala, a friend group or crew. "La mucha" is your squad, the people you hang out with. It also works as a general greeting: "que tal mucha" is basically "what's up everyone." Only Guatemalans use it with this natural ease.