come unstuck
Plans go awry
To come unstuck is to fail or fall apart after initial success, especially through unforeseen problems: Their business plan came unstuck when the market crashed.
More literally, something that was stuck comes loose or detaches.
The figurative sense is more common in British than American English, where come unglued often substitutes.
- failBe unsuccessful
- unravelSeparate intertwined strands
- falterLose momentum or steadiness
- collapseSudden structural failure
- fall flatFail to impress
backfire · blow up in your face · go wrong · go south · slip · setback · best laid plans · bite the dust · detach · go pear-shaped · break · stuff up · separate · unfasten · stumble · disintegrate · decouple · defeat
come unstucksucceed
Achieve a desired aim
work out · fall into place · come off · pan out · pay off
come unstuckhold together
Remain unified, not fragment
stay on track · come together · fall into place · hang together · stick together
come unstuckkeep it together
Maintain composure under pressure
hold it together · keep one's cool · stay calm · keep one's head · stay grounded
come, stick, sticky, coming, stuck, came, sticks, sticker, comes