go to the wall

idiom

informal
1
US : to make every possible effort to achieve something, to win, etc.
He's prepared to go to the wall to defend his beliefs.
2
British : to fail because of a lack of money
a company that has gone to the wall

Dictionary Entries Near go to the wall

go to the toilet

go to the wall

go to trouble

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Go to the wall.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/go%20to%20the%20wall. Accessed 28 Mar. 2023.

Copy Citation

Share

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of bildungsroman

See Definitions and Examples »

Test Your Vocabulary

Love It or Hate It

  • heart-fire
  • When asked about her blind date, Carol spoke for hours with vitriol.
True or False

Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ
Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can with using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.

Can you make 12 words with 7 letters?

PLAY
Words at Play
Ask the Editors
Word Games