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

Wipe used brushes with a rag and peel off old paint instead of washing it down the drain. — ABC News, 3 Aug. 2026

Rather than dumping the yolks down the drain, put them to delicious use in one of these sweet and savory egg yolk recipes. — Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 July 2026

The Prime Day extravaganza might be behind us, but that doesn't mean all the savings have swirled down the drain. — Kelsey Fogarty, PC Magazine, 1 July 2026

Pour one gallon of hot water down the drain, followed by a cup of vinegar. — Emily Benda Gaylord, The Spruce, 28 June 2026

Rhymes for down the drain

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