crash and burn

phrase

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

Metro Atlantan Ann Marie Allison in her early ‘20s had a whirlwind romance crash and burn with a man who proposed to her just four months into the relationship. — Rodney Ho, AJC.com, 29 June 2026

Yes, the Penguins could crash and burn, and not even make the playoffs. — Josh Yohe, New York Times, 3 Mar. 2026

While some trends will inevitably crash and burn only to pop back up a decade or two later, others, particularly those in the world of luggage and travel gear, are a bit more timeless. — Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 23 Feb. 2026

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