wither on the vine

Idioms  

1. Fail to come to fruition, as in This building project will wither on the vine if they don't agree on a price. This expression alludes to grapes shriveling and drying up because they were not picked when ripe.

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Example Sentences

And I suppose it depends on how often you’ve watched perfectly good social plans wither on the vine as everyone retreats to their corners to consult calendars, propose alternate dates, and apologize profusely for being busy.

From Salon

It’s turbocharging the runaway market leader, leaving the other studios’ streaming services to wither on the vine.

From Slate

It is just going to wither on the vine.

From Salon

The price of red grapes has barely covered their production costs, prompting some growers to simply let them wither on the vine, while others accepted contracts well below the cost of production, Mr. McLean said.

From New York Times

Between 165,000 to 325,000 tons of California wine grapes were left to wither on the vine in 2020 due to actual or perceived wildfire smoke exposure, said Natalie Collins, president of the California Association of Winegrape Growers.

From Washington Times