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Definitions

down the tubes

ADJECTIVE
down the drain
Synonyms
WEAK
all gone by the board done for finished kaput lost to pfft
ADJECTIVE
kaput
Synonyms
WEAK
all washed up belly up burned out cooked dead destroyed done for down and out down for the count down the drain finished floored had it nonfunctioning on the skids out of business out of circulation sunk totaled washed up wiped-out

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

"From that point on I have always had a soft spot for them, but I started focusing on them more and more as Scottish football started to go down the tubes a little bit."

From BBC • Feb. 29, 2024

“It’s when people can’t hear any other stories that things go down the tubes very fast.”

From Seattle Times • May 24, 2022

From the outset, that pipe dream seemed perpetually in danger of going down the tubes.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 27, 2021

"The commercial drive to develop any products just went down the tubes," said Sheahan.

From Salon • Sep. 28, 2021

Another sign that civilization was going straight down the tubes.

From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline