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

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

From Seattle Times • May 24, 2022

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

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 27, 2021

Not only has the artwork of the “Mark Trail” comic strip gone down the tubes, but so has the content.

From Washington Post • Jun. 4, 2021

I got to really face the reality of that because it was my dress and if it didn't sell, my job was going to go down the tubes and the company down the tubes.

From Salon • Apr. 10, 2020

Another sign that civilization was going straight down the tubes.

From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline