cut the (umbilical) cord

to end support of someone or something, esp. financial support.

He needs to cut the umbilical cord, get away and find his own place in the world.

By criticizing his party so strongly, he cut the cord and now has to raise campaign money on his own.

Etymology: based on the literal meaning of cut the umbilical cord (= to separate a baby that has just been born from the tube that connects it to its mother)

• make a fast buck
• make a federal case of
• make a federal case of something
• make a federal case out of
• make a federal case out of something
• make a fool of
• make a fool of yourself
• make a good fist of
• make a good fist of doing something
• make a good fist of something
• make a great play of
• make a great play of something
• make a hole in
• make a hole in something
• make a killing
• make allowances for
• make allowances for someone
• make allowances for something
• make all the difference
• make all the difference in the world
• make all the right noises
• make all the running
• make a long story short
• make a man of
• make a man of someone