bites the dust

Meets one's end

Bites the dust means to die or be killed, often violently: Another cowboy bites the dust.

The phrase extends to anything that fails, breaks, or comes to an end: My old laptop finally bit the dust.

The image is of someone falling face-first to the ground in defeat.

Opposites
life and death

bites the dustsurvives

Remains alive despite hardship

lives · pulls through · makes it · comes back to life · rises from the dead

success and failure

bites the dustsucceeds

Accomplishes a goal

triumphs · thrives · takes off · wins · makes it

functionality and operation

bites the dustworks

Functions or labors

holds up · runs · keeps going · functions · fires on all cylinders

Family

bite, bites, bitten, biting, biter, biters, dust, dusts, dusty

Familiarity
Top 50,000
Profile
Known to kids · Used worldwide · Timeless · Negative · Everyday, not technical · Rated PG