go for nothing

Idioms  

1. Be useless, serve no purpose. For example, He lost the case, so all our efforts on his behalf went for nothing. [Late 1500s] Also see go for, def. 2.

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Example Sentences

PSG therefore want to sell the France forward now and secure a transfer fee rather than let him go for nothing.

From BBC

However, as the French champions try to readjust their team-building policy after years of buying star players with no obvious coherent strategy, PSG have resolved not to let Mbappe go for nothing, with the club irritated that the letter was leaked in the media before they saw it.

From BBC

These women did not want all their suffering and loss to go for nothing, and they were urging men to fight on.

From New York Times

“I was feeling a lot of pressure because I waited a whole year to get back to Indy. I did so much to get ready and I didn’t want all this stuff to go for nothing. Also Dennis has never had a car that failed to make the race. I didn’t want to be the first.”

From Seattle Times

And, the franchise got a return for its asset instead of letting him go for nothing as an unrestricted free agent in July.

From Washington Times