goes up in flames
Catches fire, destroyed
Goes up in flames means to be destroyed by fire, or figuratively, to fail spectacularly and suddenly.
A building goes up in flames literally; a career or relationship goes up in flames when it collapses dramatically: His political ambitions went up in flames after the scandal broke.
The phrase emphasizes swift, total destruction.
- arsonCriminal deliberate burning
- fireCombustion with flames
- house fireDwelling engulfed in flames
- burning downDestroying by fire
- engulfedCompletely swallowed up
blaze · burn · combustion · inferno · catastrophe · wreckage · disaster · total loss · train wreck · dumpster fire · ashes · self-destruct · fiasco · epic fail · up in smoke · meltdown · collapse · incinerate
goes up in flamessurvives
Remains alive despite hardship
endures · weathers the storm · holds together · withstands · lives on
goes up in flamessucceeds
Accomplishes a goal
takes off · thrives · flourishes · comes together · pans out
goes, going, upping, flame, flames, flamed, flaming, flamer, inflame