go back to the drawing board
Scrap and restart
To go back to the drawing board is to start over after a plan or design has failed.
The phrase evokes an engineer or architect returning to sketch a new approach from scratch: The prototype exploded on the launchpad—back to the drawing board.
Sometimes shortened to back to the drawing board.
- clean slateRecord wiped clear
- start overBegin from the beginning
- do overChance to retry
- from scratchStarting with nothing prepared
- rethinkEvaluate again differently
new approach · square one · back to basics · restart · white board · setback · pivot · tabula rasa · revise · rework · redesign · reevaluate · trial and error · planning · brainstorming · think tank · reset · conceptualize
go back to the drawing boardstay the course
Continue despite difficulties
keep going · press on · move forward · forge ahead · see it through
go back to the drawing boardship it
Release for delivery
launch · go live · implement · green-light · finalize
go back to the drawing boardsucceed
Achieve a desired aim
nail it · hit the mark · mission accomplished · wrap it up · finish strong
backed, backing, backer, backward, backwards, drawing, drawings, drawer, drawers