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Glite Dictionary
to go back to the drawing board

to go back to the drawing board

9 4.2
Start again from the beginning when a plan or idea fails
  • idiom
  • Informal
translation icon : volver a empezar
  • The team realized their strategy wasn't working, so they decided to go back to the drawing board.
  • go back to the drawing board to redesign
  • need to go back to the drawing board
  • start over by going back to the drawing board

Well, go back to the drawing board on that one, OK.

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Examples

  • I had to go back to the drawing board.

    The Minimalists: Less Is Now (2021)

  • You might have to go back to the drawing board.

    Disclosure (1994)

  • Well, go back to the drawing board on that one, OK.

    The Diary Of A CEO

  • So I I encourage him to go back to the drawing board on all these issues.

    ReasonTV

  • It's time to go back to the drawing board and put in a system that makes more sense.

    Blog text (28)

  • It's time to go back to the drawing board.

    Blog text (17)

  • Or should the company go back to the drawing board and create something new and worthwhile?

    Blog text (12)

  • So to compete in this space, AMD says they went back to the drawing board on a lot of things.

  • My plan for using paper wiring didn't work out so well, so I had to go back to the drawing board.

    Blog text (3)

  • Physicists would have to go back to the drawing board and modify their explanation for the workings of the universe.

    Blog text (21)

Synonyms

to start over
vsto go back to the drawing board
283 2.5

To do something again from the start after a mistake or problem

is specific to restarting a failed plan rather than any repeat action
to renew
vsto go back to the drawing board
94 3.7

Start again after a pause, often a relationship or activity

means to start again because a plan failed rather than after a simple pause
to start fresh
vsto go back to the drawing board
  • Informal
26 3.6

Begin again without bringing past problems

focuses on restarting specifically after a plan or idea has failed
back to square one
vsto go back to the drawing board
  • Informal
12 4.3

To start again after a failure

focuses on actively beginning again rather than just returning to the start
to wipe the slate clean
vsto go back to the drawing board
  • Informal
8 5.0

To start fresh by forgetting past mistakes and problems

aims at restarting a failed plan rather than erasing past memory
rethink
vsto go back to the drawing board
4 4.2

A time of thinking again about a decision to change it

requires restarting the whole action process not only reconsidering choices
to reconceive
vsto go back to the drawing board
1 7.4

Think about or plan something in a new way

involves beginning again after a plan fails rather than merely reimagining ideas
to replan
vsto go back to the drawing board
1 3.7

To make a new plan after changes or problems

means to begin the whole process again not only to adjust the plan
to start from the drawing board
vsto go back to the drawing board
  • Informal
4.0

To begin a plan or project again from the start after a failure

is the familiar metaphorical way to say the same restart
to re-explore
vsto go back to the drawing board
4.3

To look at a place or topic again in a new way

refers to examining options again rather than restarting the entire failed plan

Antonyms

to continue
∞ 1.0

To keep doing something without stopping

to proceed
763 3.0

Begin or continue an action after a pause, often as planned

How Thoroughly

to go back to the drawing board
  • Informal
9 4.2
to try again
461 1.0
to revise
179 3.4
to tweak
81 3.8

Surface Forms

go back to the drawing board infinitive
going back to the drawing board present participle
goes back to the drawing board third person singular
went back to the drawing board past
gone back to the drawing board past participle

Morphology

go + back + to + the + drawing + board

The verb phrase 'go back' clearly signals returning, so part of the meaning (to return or start again) is derivable from the constituents. However, 'drawing board' in its literal sense (a board for drawing) does not by itself indicate 'plan/design stage' without cultural or metaphorical knowledge, so the full idiomatic sense requires prior exposure. Because the relation is partly transparent but relies on a conventional metaphor, this is best classified as semi-transparent.

Etymology

Go back to the drawing board comes from designers who drew plans on a large flat board called a drawing board. If a plan failed, they would go back to it and make a new plan, so today the phrase means 'to start again' after a failure.