# go down the tubes

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/go-down-the-tubes
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

Synonym of go down the toilet: to fail; to degenerate rapidly.

## Examples

- If we do not work harder, this project will go down the tubes.
- The company started to go down the tubes after the manager made several poor financial decisions.
- Despite the initial promise of the startup, the entire venture went down the tubes once the primary investors withdrew their support.

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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.