going up in smoke
Disappearing into nothing
Going up in smoke describes something being destroyed, ruined, or coming to nothing—like matter consumed by fire.
Plans, dreams, investments, or years of work can all go up in smoke when they fail completely: His retirement savings went up in smoke in the crash.
The phrase emphasizes sudden, total loss with nothing left to salvage.
- crash and burnFail completely and visibly
- ashesBurned matter's residue
- reduced to ashesBurned until nothing remains
- blazeIntense burning fire
- burningCombustion in progress
up in flames · burnt to a crisp · falling apart · fading · vanishing · ruin · down the drain · fiasco · disappearance · pipe dream · best laid plans · lost cause · evaporation · futility · all for nothing · flame · debacle · collapse
going up in smokepaying off
Producing desired results
bearing fruit · panning out · working out · succeeding · materializing
going up in smokesurviving
Remaining alive or intact
enduring · holding together · lasting · weathering the storm · holding firm
gone, going, uppish, uppermost, smoke, smokes, smoked, smoking, smoker