rack and ruin, go to

Discover More

Idioms and Phrases

Also, go to wrack and ruin . Become decayed, decline or fall apart, as in After the founder's death the business went to rack and ruin . These expressions are emphatic redundancies, since rack and wrack (which are actually variants of the same word) mean “destruction” or “ruin.” [Mid-1500s]

Word of the Day

April 24, 2024gallimaufry

[gal-uh-maw-free ]

Meaning and examples

Start each day with the Word of the Day in your inbox!

By clicking "Sign Up", you are accepting Dictionary.com Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policies.

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

rack and pinion rackboard

Browse