go down the tubes
idiom
informal
1
: to fail or become ruined
His health is going down the tubes.
2
: to be wasted or lost
All my hard work went down the tubes.
Examples of go down the tubes in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
If Governor Moore runs and wins again, this state will go down the tubes for good.
—
Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 30 Jan. 2025
The problem is that weak ties go down the tubes, and those are the most predictive thing for innovation.
—Geoff Colvin, Fortune, 14 Aug. 2023
Without adequate recovery—easy days, sleep, downtime—training adaptations go down the tubes.
—Outside Online, 22 July 2020
Telehealth to 'go down the tubes'?
—Ken Alltucker, USA TODAY, 4 July 2020
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 30 Jan. 2025
The problem is that weak ties go down the tubes, and those are the most predictive thing for innovation.
—Geoff Colvin, Fortune, 14 Aug. 2023
Without adequate recovery—easy days, sleep, downtime—training adaptations go down the tubes.
—Outside Online, 22 July 2020
Telehealth to 'go down the tubes'?
—Ken Alltucker, USA TODAY, 4 July 2020
Cite this Entry
“Go down the tubes.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/go%20down%20the%20tubes. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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