down the tubes

Idioms  

1. Also, down the tube. Into a state of failure or ruin, as in If he failed the test, his chances went down the tubes. ] Colloquial; 1960s] Also see down the drain.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

down the tubes

“It’s when people can’t hear any other stories that things go down the tubes very fast.”

From Seattle Times ● May 24, 2022

Four of the eight tubes also featured elaborate bull figurines with a hole through the middle, which could move up and down the tubes with ease.

From Washington Post ● Jan. 19, 2022

From the outset, that pipe dream seemed perpetually in danger of going down the tubes.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 27, 2021

"The commercial drive to develop any products just went down the tubes," said Sheahan.

From Salon ● Sep. 28, 2021

“A year’s worth of work goin’ down the tubes in a New York second.”

From "Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream" by H.G. Bissinger