down the tube

phrase

variants or down the tubes

: into a state of collapse or deterioration

Word History

First Known Use

1963, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of down the tube was in 1963

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down the telephone

down the tube

downthrow

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Style

“Down the tube.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/down%20the%20tube. Accessed 27 Aug. 2026.

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