end in smoke
To be destroyed or ruined; to go up in smoke.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“His big plans for the summer ended in smoke.”
“After the investor pulled out at the last minute, all our dreams for the new business ended in smoke.”
“Despite years of meticulous preparation and significant financial investment, the ambitious project ultimately ended in smoke when the primary technology failed during the final demonstration.”
- 01
all ends up
Completely; totally.
- 02
arse end of nowhere
A very remote place.
- 03
big end of town
The top end of town.
- 04
bitter end
The end of a long and difficult process.
- 05
burn the candle at both ends
To work hard night and day; to sleep late and wake up early; to overwork or overexert oneself.
- 06
business end
The part of an object (chiefly a tool or weapon) that is physically used for its operation, rather than some other part such as the part by which it is held.
- 07
come to a sticky end
To die unpleasantly due to one's actions.
- 08
come to an end
To stop; to cease; to no longer continue.
Last updated August 10, 2026