# final nail in the coffin

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/final-nail-in-the-coffin
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

Something that is ultimately responsible for a previously prospective demise or failure.

## Examples

- This bad review was the final nail in the coffin for the restaurant.
- The company lost its biggest client yesterday, which felt like the final nail in the coffin for their struggling business.
- After years of declining sales and poor management, the sudden loss of their primary investor served as the final nail in the coffin for the once-prosperous firm.

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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.