"drive a coach and horses through" meaning in English

{
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "drives a coach and horses through",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "driving a coach and horses through",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "drove a coach and horses through",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "driven a coach and horses through",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "drive<,,drove,driven> a coach and horses through"
      },
      "expansion": "drive a coach and horses through (third-person singular simple present drives a coach and horses through, present participle driving a coach and horses through, simple past drove a coach and horses through, past participle driven a coach and horses through)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "British English",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2014 October 2, Emma Dunkley, George Parker, quoting Pat McFadden, “Wonga to write off £220m of loans owed by customers”, in The Financial Times",
          "text": "These findings drive a coach and horses through the claim that Wonga has been lending responsibly.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2018 March 18, Denis Campbell, “UK anti-obesity drive at risk from new US trade deal, doctors warn”, in The Guardian",
          "text": "We’ve been told that No 10 is preparing to update its obesity strategy. Part of that must be to get us all eating more healthily.¶ But a sugary, junk-filled trade deal will drive a coach and horses through it all.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To spoil, break or render ineffective (a rule, plan or agreement)."
      ],
      "id": "en-drive_a_coach_and_horses_through-en-verb-8WIkXB00",
      "links": [
        [
          "spoil",
          "spoil"
        ],
        [
          "break",
          "break"
        ],
        [
          "ineffective",
          "ineffective"
        ],
        [
          "rule",
          "rule"
        ],
        [
          "plan",
          "plan"
        ],
        [
          "agreement",
          "agreement"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(British, idiomatic) To spoil, break or render ineffective (a rule, plan or agreement)."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "nonconform"
        },
        {
          "word": "drive a coach and six through"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "British",
        "idiomatic"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "drive a coach and horses through"
}

{
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "drives a coach and horses through",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "driving a coach and horses through",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "drove a coach and horses through",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "driven a coach and horses through",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "drive<,,drove,driven> a coach and horses through"
      },
      "expansion": "drive a coach and horses through (third-person singular simple present drives a coach and horses through, present participle driving a coach and horses through, simple past drove a coach and horses through, past participle driven a coach and horses through)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "British English",
        "English entries with incorrect language header",
        "English idioms",
        "English lemmas",
        "English multiword terms",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English verbs"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2014 October 2, Emma Dunkley, George Parker, quoting Pat McFadden, “Wonga to write off £220m of loans owed by customers”, in The Financial Times",
          "text": "These findings drive a coach and horses through the claim that Wonga has been lending responsibly.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2018 March 18, Denis Campbell, “UK anti-obesity drive at risk from new US trade deal, doctors warn”, in The Guardian",
          "text": "We’ve been told that No 10 is preparing to update its obesity strategy. Part of that must be to get us all eating more healthily.¶ But a sugary, junk-filled trade deal will drive a coach and horses through it all.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To spoil, break or render ineffective (a rule, plan or agreement)."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "spoil",
          "spoil"
        ],
        [
          "break",
          "break"
        ],
        [
          "ineffective",
          "ineffective"
        ],
        [
          "rule",
          "rule"
        ],
        [
          "plan",
          "plan"
        ],
        [
          "agreement",
          "agreement"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(British, idiomatic) To spoil, break or render ineffective (a rule, plan or agreement)."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "British",
        "idiomatic"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "word": "nonconform"
    },
    {
      "word": "drive a coach and six through"
    }
  ],
  "word": "drive a coach and horses through"
}