English idiom

go down in flames

Register · Informal CEFR C1

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Figurative meaning

To fail suddenly and completely.

Why this phrase?

From an aircraft crashing while on fire.

Example

“The startup went down in flames after the funding dried up.”

Dictionary details

Tags

Expressions connected by reviewed component words or topic tags.

go pear-shaped

to go wrong, to fail in an awkward way

go downhill

to become progressively worse in condition, quality, or performance

miss the boat

To lose a chance to do something by being too slow or late.

back to square one

to return to the beginning of a task after an attempt has failed

back to the drawing board

to start planning or designing again after an idea or attempt has failed

barking up the wrong tree

To pursue a mistaken or misguided line of thought or action.

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.

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