fail upwards
To advance in one's career despite failure or incompetence.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“He keeps getting promotions even though he fails upwards.”
“Despite his disastrous management of the project, he managed to fail upwards into a vice president role.”
“The executive seemed to fail upwards, consistently securing higher positions after each corporate catastrophe he oversaw.”
- 01
fail at life
To do anything disappointing; to fail significantly.
- 02
god that failed
A notable let-down or flop; a concept, product, or person that has failed to live up to very high expectations.
- 03
onwards and upwards
On to greater things.
- 04
words fail someone
Someone is incapable of describing something with words, especially due to fear, shock, or surprise.
Last updated August 10, 2026