Region: General | Usage example: They salted the earth around the abandoned base to keep anyone from returning.

Salt the earth

Meaning

Leave nothing profitable behind in defeat or withdrawal.

Used metaphorically when someone resorts to total destruction.

Origin notes can vary by region and source; this page gives the commonly reported explanation and usage context.

Ancient practice of scattering salt on conquered land to prevent future crops.

Allusions appear in Roman and Biblical stories and linger in modern speech.