breathe down someone's neck

• Audio (AU)

  (file)

breathe down someone's neck (third-person singular simple present breathes down someone's neck, present participle breathing down someone's neck, simple past and past participle breathed down someone's neck)

1. (idiomatic) To follow or supervise someone too closely, causing discomfort for that person.

   My boss never lets me get on with my work. He's always breathing down my neck and checking up on me.

• cramp one's style