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come to grief

Idioms  
  1. Meet with disaster or failure. For example, The icy runway caused at least one light plane to come to grief. [Mid-1800s]


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

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Two oilmen would come to grief, more or less, in the 1920s.

From Los Angeles Times Aug. 3, 2023

Numerous aides have come to grief — Scott Pruitt, Ryan Zinke, Tom Price, Ronny Jackson — after discovering they couldn’t get away with stuff the boss does.

From Washington Post Apr. 24, 2019

HAMILTON, Bermuda — Many a well-financed maritime expedition has come to grief through the centuries in the treacherous, deep blue waters off Bermuda.

From New York Times Jun. 26, 2017

Davies's book pushed an approved vision of unbroken brotherhood just as the Beatles began to come to grief.

From The Guardian Sep. 26, 2012

There, back beyond our island, a ship under full sail had come to grief in the storm.

From "Beyond the Bright Sea" by Lauren Wolk

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