Definition
To act in a way that is intended to harm someone else but which also harms yourself.
He refused to take his last paycheck because he was fired, which was a real case of cutting off his nose to spite his face.
She posted fake news on social media to make her ex-boyfriend jealous, only to make herself look foolish, a real case of cutting off her nose to spite her face.
They all quit their jobs to protest the company's policies, only to find themselves without income, a clear example of cutting off their nose to spite their face.