# hit the skids

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/hit-the-skids
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To fail; to decline.

## Examples

- The restaurant hit the skids after the owner retired.
- The company hit the skids when their main product stopped selling well last year.
- Once the economy hit the skids, the small business struggled to maintain its operations and eventually had to close its doors permanently.

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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.