go up in flames

Idioms  

1. Also, go up in smoke. Be utterly destroyed, as in This project will go up in flames if the designer quits, or All our work is going up in smoke. This idiom transfers a fire to other kinds of destruction. [Early 1900s]

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

go up in flames

He might still be young by soccer standards, but he’s no longer the kid who landed in Qatar as a teenager and watched his career go up in flames.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 2026

But Blue Origin just saw its plans go up in flames during a ground test explosion of its flagship New Glenn rocket, which damaged their launch platform and heralded delays.

From Barron's ● Jun. 4, 2026

The Chungs moved in a decade ago to Wang Cheong House – the first of the seven tower blocks at Tai Po to go up in flames.

From BBC ● Nov. 27, 2025

They were the last two on the block to go up in flames, said Skinner, who tried to stay as long as possible to hose down the shrubs around his and Harris’ homes.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 10, 2025

The poor guy had just lost his grandmother and seen his house go up in flames.

From "The Son of Neptune" by Rick Riordan