# go to the well

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/go-to-the-well
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To draw on a resource or reserve that may be at risk of being exhausted.

## Examples

- He had to go to the well one more time for money.
- The writer had already used his best ideas, but he had to go to the well again to finish the book.
- After years of relying on his dwindling savings, he found that he could no longer go to the well without facing total financial ruin.

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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.