# go up in smoke

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/go-up-in-smoke
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To be completely ruined, devastated, or reduced to nothingness.

## Examples

- All my hard work went up in smoke.
- When the company lost its main investor, the plans for the new office went up in smoke.
- After years of meticulous preparation, the entrepreneur watched his dreams go up in smoke when the market crashed unexpectedly.

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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.