Failure is a part of life, and language is filled with idioms that capture setbacks, mistakes, and disappointments. Here are 28 idioms related to failure, along with their meanings, examples, and alternative ways to express them.

1. Back to Square One

Meaning: Having to start over after a failed attempt.
Example: “After the project got rejected, we were back to square one.”
Tone: Frustrated, determined.
Other ways to say it: Start from scratch, reset.

2. Bite the Dust

Meaning: To fail or be defeated completely.
Example: “Our team bit the dust in the semifinals.”
Tone: Dramatic, humorous.
Other ways to say it: Go down in flames, lose badly.

3. A Day Late and a Dollar Short

Meaning: Too late or not enough effort to succeed.
Example: “He finally submitted his application, but it was a day late and a dollar short.”
Tone: Regretful, disappointed.
Other ways to say it: Miss the boat, too little too late.

4. Go Down in Flames

Meaning: To fail spectacularly.
Example: “His business went down in flames after poor financial planning.”
Tone: Dramatic, negative.
Other ways to say it: Crash and burn, complete disaster.

5. Drop the Ball

Meaning: To make a mistake that causes failure.
Example: “I totally dropped the ball on that presentation.”
Tone: Regretful, self-critical.
Other ways to say it: Mess up, miss the mark.

6. A Flash in the Pan

Meaning: A temporary success that quickly fades.
Example: “His first hit song was just a flash in the pan.”
Tone: Disappointed, unimpressed.
Other ways to say it: One-hit wonder, short-lived success.

7. Fall Flat on One’s Face

Meaning: To fail embarrassingly.
Example: “His joke fell flat on its face at the meeting.”
Tone: Embarrassed, disappointed.
Other ways to say it: Bomb, completely fail.

8. Bark Up the Wrong Tree

Meaning: To pursue a mistaken course of action.
Example: “If you think I stole your phone, you’re barking up the wrong tree.”
Tone: Assertive, corrective.
Other ways to say it: Make a wrong assumption, go in the wrong direction.

9. Blow It

Meaning: To ruin an opportunity.
Example: “He blew it when he forgot his lines on stage.”
Tone: Disappointed, casual.
Other ways to say it: Mess up, screw up.

10. Come to Nothing

Meaning: To fail after effort.
Example: “Years of research came to nothing when funding was cut.”
Tone: Regretful, serious.
Other ways to say it: Go to waste, lead nowhere.

11. Dead in the Water

Meaning: Something that has failed and cannot continue.
Example: “Without investors, the project is dead in the water.”
Tone: Final, hopeless.
Other ways to say it: No chance, completely stuck.

12. Fall Through the Cracks

Meaning: To be overlooked or forgotten, leading to failure.
Example: “His concerns fell through the cracks at the meeting.”
Tone: Regretful, unnoticed.
Other ways to say it: Slip away, be neglected.

13. Go Off the Rails

Meaning: To fail due to losing control.
Example: “The event went off the rails when the speaker didn’t show up.”
Tone: Chaotic, unexpected.
Other ways to say it: Go wrong, fall apart.

14. Hit a Brick Wall

Meaning: To face an obstacle that prevents success.
Example: “We hit a brick wall with our negotiations.”
Tone: Frustrated, stuck.
Other ways to say it: Get stuck, reach a dead end.

15. Miss the Boat

Meaning: To lose an opportunity due to delay.
Example: “He missed the boat on investing in that startup.”
Tone: Regretful, disappointed.
Other ways to say it: Lose out, be too late.

16. Not Cut Out for Something

Meaning: Lacking the ability to succeed in a certain area.
Example: “I realized I’m not cut out for sales after struggling with cold calls.”
Tone: Realistic, self-reflective.
Other ways to say it: Not suited for, not built for.

17. Pull the Plug

Meaning: To stop or cancel something unsuccessful.
Example: “They pulled the plug on the failing TV show.”
Tone: Practical, decisive.
Other ways to say it: Shut down, call it quits.

18. Shoot Oneself in the Foot

Meaning: To cause one’s own failure.
Example: “He shot himself in the foot by lying to his boss.”
Tone: Self-inflicted, regretful.
Other ways to say it: Self-sabotage, ruin one’s chances.

19. Strike Out

Meaning: To fail, often repeatedly.
Example: “I struck out at every job interview this week.”
Tone: Frustrated, unlucky.
Other ways to say it: Fail repeatedly, have bad luck.

20. Take a Nosedive

Meaning: To decline or fail suddenly.
Example: “The company’s profits took a nosedive last quarter.”
Tone: Dramatic, serious.
Other ways to say it: Collapse, plummet.

21. A Sinking Ship

Meaning: A failing situation that cannot be saved.
Example: “That company is a sinking ship—employees are leaving fast.”
Tone: Hopeless, doomed.
Other ways to say it: Beyond saving, in freefall.

22. Throw in the Towel

Meaning: To give up after failure.
Example: “After months of struggling, she threw in the towel on her business.”
Tone: Final, exhausted.
Other ways to say it: Surrender, admit defeat.

23. Up in Smoke

Meaning: Completely lost or wasted effort.
Example: “His dreams of becoming an actor went up in smoke.”
Tone: Dramatic, regretful.
Other ways to say it: Disappear, come to nothing.

24. Fall by the Wayside

Meaning: To fail or be left behind.
Example: “Many startups fall by the wayside due to lack of funding.”
Tone: Disappointed, natural.
Other ways to say it: Get left behind, fail.

25. Clutching at Straws

Meaning: Making desperate, weak attempts to avoid failure.
Example: “He was clutching at straws to defend his bad decision.”
Tone: Desperate, hopeless.
Other ways to say it: Desperately grasp, weak excuses.

26. A Lost Cause

Meaning: Something beyond saving or improvement.
Example: “Trying to fix that broken laptop is a lost cause.”
Tone: Defeated, hopeless.
Other ways to say it: No hope, pointless effort.

27. Go Belly Up

Meaning: To go bankrupt or fail completely.
Example: “The restaurant went belly up after a year.”
Tone: Final, financial.
Other ways to say it: Go bankrupt, collapse.

28. Go Nowhere Fast

Meaning: Making no progress despite effort.
Example: “We’re going nowhere fast with these negotiations.”
Tone: Frustrated, stagnant.
Other ways to say it: Stuck, making no progress.

Conclusion

Failure is a universal experience, and these idioms capture its different forms—from embarrassing mistakes to total collapse. Learning from failure makes success even more meaningful.