# come unstuck

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/come-unstuck
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To get into trouble, to have an accident or mishap, to go off the rails.

## Examples

- His plan came unstuck when he forgot his keys.
- The project came unstuck after the team lost their main source of funding halfway through the year.
- Despite his meticulous preparation, the politician's campaign came unstuck when a long-forgotten scandal surfaced in the national press.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.