to go up in smoke

Examples

• All

• Sooner or later, everybody's dreams go up in smoke.

  Sweet and Lowdown (1999)

• Rasputin stares at the scene in his reliquary, watching his well-laid plan go up in smoke, and lets out a simmering growl.

  Fiction book (1997)

• But unfortunately, all that hope has gone up in smoke.

  Trigger Man (2007)

• The place is about to go up in smoke.

  Rear Window (1954)

• All the others had been left behind and had perhaps gone up in smoke.

  Fiction book (1999)

• The greatest private art collection in North America was in danger of going up in smoke.

  Academic text (2010)

• All our hard work just went up in smoke, like bubbles in water!

  The Phone Book (2008)

• Well, thanks to John's little miracle the one bit of fun we had during the week just went up in smoke.

  John, 316 (2021)

• Just this past month, we saw 1,345 square kilometers of the Brazilian Amazon go up in smoke.

  Takeout (2020)

• Or if they believe that the United States is not going to make good on its promises to build true democracy in Iraq, this whole reconstruction effort could go up in smoke.

  Sergio (2020)

Synonyms

D

to disappear

vsto go up in smoke

∞ 1.0

To stop being seen or to no longer be there

narrows that disappearance to the sudden failure of intentions

D

to die

vsto go up in smoke

840 4.8

To stop being felt, as a feeling or idea

casts that ending as an abrupt, permanent vanishing of plans

C

to collapse

vsto go up in smoke

579 3.9

To fall down suddenly, for example when a person faints or a building breaks

focuses on plans vanishing irretrievably rather than structural failure

V

to vanish

vsto go up in smoke

421 3.0

Disappear suddenly and completely for no clear reason

frames that sudden stop as an irretrievable end of plans

G

to go under

vsto go up in smoke

43 4.4

Fail because of money problems

stresses instant, irreversible disappearance rather than mainly money issues

G

to give way

vsto go up in smoke

35 4.2

Break or fail because of pressure

frames that yielding as instant, unrecoverable disappearance of efforts

B

to burn up

vsto go up in smoke

27 3.7

To be completely destroyed by fire

uses that destruction image to mean plans vanish utterly and forever

G

to go out the window

vsto go up in smoke

• Informal

21 7.5

An idea or hope that is suddenly ignored and can no longer happen

strengthens that loss to mean complete, irretrievable disappearance

F

to flop

vsto go up in smoke

19 4.0

To end without success, often in public like a show

adds a sense of sudden irreversible disappearance to that failure

G

to go belly up

vsto go up in smoke

• Informal

15 5.3

To fail completely and close, especially a business or project

applies the sudden, irretrievable loss image beyond just business failure

B

to bite the dust

vsto go up in smoke

• Informal

11 6.8

To stop working or fail completely

adds the sense of sudden, irreversible disappearance to that stoppage

T

to turn to shit

vsto go up in smoke

• Offensive

9 9.9

To go very badly and fail completely

shares ruin idea but adds instant vanishing and irretrievability

D

to disappear into thin air

vsto go up in smoke

• Informal

8 4.4

To vanish suddenly with no trace

uses that unexplained disappearance image for plans or efforts failing

B

to belly up

vsto go up in smoke

• Informal

7 7.9

Stop operating because it has run out of money

conveys the same total loss but as sudden vanishing of efforts

T

to turn to dust

vsto go up in smoke

7 6.6

To be completely ruined and lose all value

stresses sudden disappearance and irretrievability rather than slow decay

F

to flame out

vsto go up in smoke

• Informal

6 7.5

To fail suddenly after a good start

focuses more on instant vanishing rather than dramatic end alone

C

to come to nothing

vsto go up in smoke

6 4.6

Fail to produce any result

highlights sudden irreversible loss rather than only lack of result

V

to vaporize

vsto go up in smoke

• Informal

4 5.6

To disappear or fall very quickly, for example when money loses value

implies total and irreversible loss rather than only rapid decrease

G

to give up the ghost

vsto go up in smoke

• Informal

4 8.1

To die or stop working after a long time of problems

is about abrupt disappearance and irretrievable failure rather than slow end

G

to go the way of the dodo

vsto go up in smoke

2 8.6

To stop being used and disappear completely

uses that extinction image to show sudden, irretrievable failure of plans

V

to vanish off the face of the earth

vsto go up in smoke

• Informal

1 8.1

Disappear completely so no one knows what happened and no sign is left

applies that sudden complete vanishing specifically to failed plans

G

to go in the toilet

vsto go up in smoke

• Informal

1 7.9

To fail completely

adds a stronger idea of instant total disappearance to the ruin

E

to end in smoke

vsto go up in smoke

• Informal

8.1

To fail completely and have no useful result

stresses sudden, total disappearance rather than only failure

Y

to yield up the ghost

vsto go up in smoke

• Archaic

9.8

To stop working or to die after a long time of getting worse

emphasizes sudden complete vanishing rather than gradual cessation

Antonyms

S

to succeed

846 2.0

To reach a goal after trying hard

M

to materialize

63 5.8

To become real or happen as hoped

Surface Forms

Morphology

Etymology