a nail in the/someone's coffin
phrase
: something that makes it more likely that someone or something will fail, be destroyed, etc.
Every mistake is one more nail in the coffin of his professional baseball career.
The lawyers put another nail in her coffin today.
Cite this Entry
“A nail in the/someone's coffin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/a%20nail%20in%20the%2Fsomeone%27s%20coffin. Accessed 6 Mar. 2026.
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
