bite the dust

Cultural  

1. Literally, to fall face down in the dirt; to suffer a defeat: “Once again, the champion wins, and another contender bites the dust.”

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bite the dust Idioms  

1. Suffer defeat or death, as in The 1990 election saw both of our senators bite the dust. Although this expression was popularized by American Western films of the 1930s, in which either cowboys or Indians were thrown from their horses to the dusty ground, it originated much earlier. Tobias Smollett had it in Gil Blas (1750): “We made two of them bite the dust.”

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Example Sentences

"About four hours ago - it feels like four years ago - I began by saying this felt likely to be a bit like an episode of The Traitors, and the question would be who would be the next person to bite the dust," he told BBC News when the session ended.

From BBC

Citing inflationary pressures and slumping enrollment, Cazenovia College in central New York will close at the end of the school year, making it among the latest to bite the dust.

From Washington Times

The hopes of eight more nations will bite the dust after the first knockout round, which includes England against Senegal and BBC football expert Chris Sutton's adopted nation, Japan.

From BBC

Seeing that and other jobs bite the dust was "so disappointing", she says.

From BBC

It’s no fun when characters played by actors you enjoy seeing bite the dust, but it also doesn’t exactly break your heart.

From Los Angeles Times