English idiom

go to the wall

Register · Neutral CEFR C1

Post

Figurative meaning

collapse or fail completely, particularly as a business or financial venture

Word picture

Progress is pictured ending at a solid wall with no path forward and no way around the obstacle.

Example

“Several independent shops went to the wall after their rents doubled.”

Dictionary details

Component words

wall

Tags

Expressions connected by reviewed component words or topic tags.

back against the wall

in a desperate situation with few options left

drive someone up the wall

to make someone feel extremely annoyed or frustrated

the writing on the wall

clear and unmistakable signs that failure or disaster is coming

throw it at the wall and see what sticks

to try many ideas quickly, keeping only the ones that work

go belly up

to fail completely, especially of a business

break even

to reach the point where revenue equals costs — no profit, no loss

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.

External links

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