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Synonyms

come to nothing

Idioms  
  1. Also, come to naught. Fail, as in All his efforts have come to nothing, or The last round of peace talks came to naught. The first term dates from the mid-1500s, the variant from the early 1600s.


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.

See Examples For:

That case has wound on for years, leaving each of the victims to constantly relive their worst moments, constantly fear that all of their courage would come to nothing.

From Los Angeles Times Apr. 14, 2026

They both told how they had left for the capital in search of work but their hopes of finding opportunities there had come to nothing.

From Barron's Mar. 14, 2026

Nor will Mr. Amodei in the event that his prophecies come to nothing.

From The Wall Street Journal Feb. 4, 2026

Dogged US efforts to prevent the crisis from escalating, involving presidential visits, countless diplomatic missions and the deployment of vast military resources, have all come to nothing.

From BBC Oct. 7, 2024

He answers me with a song about no work, all the places he try, all the jobs that come to nothing.

From "Taste of Salt: A Story of Modern Haiti" by Frances Temple

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