flying colors
Resounding victory phrase
Flying colors means triumphant success, especially in a test or challenge: She passed the bar exam with flying colors.
The phrase comes from naval tradition—a victorious ship returned to port with its flags still flying, while a defeated ship lowered them.
Now it applies to any impressive achievement: He came through the interview with flying colors.
- sail throughAccomplish with ease
- successFavorable outcome attained
- triumphResounding, celebrated victory
- excellenceOutstanding quality or merit
- gold starSmall achievement marker
come out on top · victory · top marks · achievement · conquest · accomplishment · test results · pennants · distinction · honor roll · banners · flag waving · proficiency · merit · well done · standards · winning · acclaim
- success idiomshit the jackpot, strike gold, make it, rags to riches, come out on top
- folk sayingsproverb, adage, maxim, folk saying, old saying
flying colorscrashing and burning
Failing dramatically and publicly
falling flat · bombing · flopping · tanking · disgrace
flying colorsby the skin of one's teeth
Succeeding with minimal margin
just barely · narrowly · by a hair · by a whisker · eking out
flying colorstotal disaster
crashing and burning · epic fail · fiasco · debacle · catastrophe
flying, colors, color, flies, flyer, flight, colored, coloring, colorful