down the drain

phrase

: to a state of being wasted or irretrievably lost

All their hard work went down the drain.

Examples of down the drain in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In a bowl or sink of standing water, anything rinsed off one item can float over to the next, while running water sends it down the drain. — Ryan Brennan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Nov. 2026

When the clog is dislodged, water should flow down the drain, indicating success. — Timothy Dale, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 Oct. 2026

Medication While medication won’t cause a clog in your pipes, pouring it down the drain can contaminate your local watershed, harming your local aquatic life. — Alexandra Kelly, Martha Stewart, 17 Oct. 2026

But those procedures can also send plastic particles down the drain — waste that South Florida’s wastewater systems aren’t designed to catch. — Laurie Mermet, Miami Herald, 15 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1930, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for down the drain

• aeroplane
• appertain
• ascertain
• capitaine
• cassegrain
• cellophane
• chatelaine
• counterpane
• entertain
• halothane
• hurricane
• hyperplane