crash and burn
idiom
US, informal
: to fail completely
The company crashed and burned after only two years in business.
Examples of crash and burn in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Anyone familiar with racing — or shows like Drive to Survive, where stories pivot on split-second twists of fate — knows how quickly fortunes can crash and burn.
—
Sarah Hepola, Dallas Morning News, 31 Jan. 2026
However, each time this tale progresses, the movie cuts away once more, to one of two stories that try desperately to express these very same themes, but crash and burn in the process.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 27 Jan. 2026
Wednesday marked the end of the Rick Hahn rebuild that looked so promising in 2021, only to crash and burn by the summer of ’22.
—Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 21 Jan. 2026
But the game rewards savvy teams that make smart decisions and develop players well, which is why teams like the Rays can hold their own year-in and year-out, and why big money teams like last season’s Mets sometimes crash and burn.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 18 Jan. 2026
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Sarah Hepola, Dallas Morning News, 31 Jan. 2026
However, each time this tale progresses, the movie cuts away once more, to one of two stories that try desperately to express these very same themes, but crash and burn in the process.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 27 Jan. 2026
Wednesday marked the end of the Rick Hahn rebuild that looked so promising in 2021, only to crash and burn by the summer of ’22.
—Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 21 Jan. 2026
But the game rewards savvy teams that make smart decisions and develop players well, which is why teams like the Rays can hold their own year-in and year-out, and why big money teams like last season’s Mets sometimes crash and burn.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 18 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for crash and burn
Cite this Entry
“Crash and burn.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crash%20and%20burn. Accessed 5 Feb. 2026.
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