go down the tubes
Meaning
To fail badly or rapidly deteriorate, often ending in ruin (a project, business, plan, or situation).
Origin
A 20th‑century metaphor: something being flushed away into plumbing/pipes, implying irreversible loss or collapse. The phrase became common in American English from mid‑century onward.
Notes
Informal and fairly strong—suggests things are beyond saving. Used for businesses, plans, situations, or someone’s life; can sound harsh if said about a person.
Examples
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After the data breach, customer trust went down the tubes almost overnight.
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If we don’t control costs, the whole project could go down the tubes by summer.
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Their restaurant started strong, but it went down the tubes when the head chef quit.
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Once he stopped showing up for practice, his chances of making the team went down the tubes.
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The moment the supplier backed out, our carefully planned launch went down the tubes.
Grammar & Usage Notes
Fixed pattern: "go/went/is going down the tubes". Subject is the thing failing; can take modifiers ("really", "quickly"). Often used with past or progressive; rarely varies wording.
Synonyms
- go to ruin
- go downhill
- fall apart
- go under
- go belly up
Antonyms
- turn around
- recover
- bounce back
- pick up
- make a comeback