ENGLISH
REFERENCE

run into the ground

idiom
Meaning

To mismanage to the point of ruin.


Examples
SIMPLE

He will run the business into the ground with his bad decisions.

CONTEXTUAL

The new manager ignored every warning and eventually ran the company into the ground.

COMPLEX

By neglecting essential maintenance and ignoring the staff's concerns, the owner effectively ran his once-thriving enterprise into the ground within a single year.

Anchors to
Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    break into a run

    To start running.

  2. 02

    common ground

    A characteristic or interest shared by multiple people or systems; any belief, etc. held in common.

  3. 03

    common run

    Ordinary persons, things, or events.

  4. 04

    dry run

    A practice or rehearsal; especially, one that goes through all the motions of a physical process but without the raw material or workpiece present.

  5. 05

    dummy run

    A trial or practice before the real attempt.

  6. 06

    ear to the ground

    The practice or characteristic of carefully gathering information; a state or mindset of attentiveness.

  7. 07

    eyes on the ground

    One or more observers in an area of interest.

  8. 08

    facts on the ground

    The situation in reality as opposed to in the abstract.

Last updated April 17, 2026