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Synonyms

come to nothing

Idioms  
  1. Also, come to naught. Fail, as in All his efforts have come to nothing, or The last round of peace talks came to naught. The first term dates from the mid-1500s, the variant from the early 1600s.


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.

That case has wound on for years, leaving each of the victims to constantly relive their worst moments, constantly fear that all of their courage would come to nothing.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 14, 2026

They both told how they had left for the capital in search of work but their hopes of finding opportunities there had come to nothing.

From Barron's • Mar. 14, 2026

While prospectors have long proposed mining the ocean floor, much like oil companies drill offshore, such efforts have come to nothing.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 27, 2025

In December, the two main Palestinian factions, Hamas and Fatah, agreed to form a joint committee to oversee its administration - an agreement which has so far come to nothing.

From BBC • Feb. 5, 2025

Napoleon produced no schemes of his own, but said quietly that Snowball’s would come to nothing, and seemed to be biding his time.

From "Animal Farm: A Fairy Story" by George Orwell