going down the tubes
Heading toward ruin
Going down the tubes means failing, deteriorating, or heading toward ruin.
The image suggests something being flushed away or sucked into a drain.
The whole project is going down the tubes, My savings went down the tubes after the divorce.
Also appears as *down the tube* or *down the drain*.
- failBe unsuccessful
- deteriorateGrow worse over time
- declineDecrease or refuse
- worsenBecome more severe
- degenerateDecline morally or physically
collapse · sink · circling the drain · fiasco · cratering · ruin · disintegrate · downfall · tanking · debacle · falter · catastrophe · on the skids · slump · erosion · nosedive · decay · disaster
going down the tubeson the rise
Becoming greater or more
going places · taking off · thriving · on the up and up · looking up
going down the tubesback on track
out of the woods · on the mend · recovering · rebounding · bouncing back
going down the tubessalvageable
Able to be rescued
viable · sustainable · in good shape · going strong · alive and well