drawing board
Americannoun
idioms
-
back to the drawing board, back to the original or an earlier stage of planning or development.
Our plan didn't work out, so it's back to the drawing board.
-
on the drawing board, in the planning or design stage.
The shopping center is still on the drawing board.
noun
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a smooth flat rectangular board on which paper, canvas, etc, is placed for making drawings
-
return to an earlier stage in an enterprise because a planned undertaking has failed
Etymology
Origin of drawing board
First recorded in 1715–25
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.
The implication of the research is this: If you’re planning to retire at 65 or 67, it may be time to go back to the drawing board and stress test your plan.
From MarketWatch • May 14, 2026
That version of the film was well underway when the production was forced to go back to the drawing board due to a legal issue.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 24, 2026
The bank was officially launched last year and is now well beyond the drawing board.
From Barron's • Apr. 13, 2026
Former Manchester United defender Gary Neville thinks that it will be back to the drawing board for Arteta.
From BBC • Jan. 25, 2026
While the twenty-seven-inch accelerator was still on the drawing board, Lawrence and Livingston worked intently to improve the performance of the eleven-inch chamber that Livingston had built for the old magnet.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
