Example
“All our careful planning went down the drain when the client pulled out.”
Dictionary details
Related idioms
Expressions connected by reviewed component words or topic tags.
go downhill
Neutral · CEFR B1
to become progressively worse in condition, quality, or performance
miss the boat
Informal · CEFR B1
To lose a chance to do something by being too slow or late.
back to square one
Neutral · CEFR B2
to return to the beginning of a task after an attempt has failed
back to the drawing board
Neutral · CEFR B2
to start planning or designing again after an idea or attempt has failed
barking up the wrong tree
Informal · CEFR B2
To pursue a mistaken or misguided line of thought or action.
below par
Neutral · CEFR B2
worse than the normal or expected standard
Source methodology
Meanings, register, CEFR, and examples come from the reviewed dictionary record. Expression notes may describe a reviewed present-day word picture or a background note; they are not presented as verified etymology.