running into the ground
Wearing out entirely
Running something into the ground is overusing or mismanaging it until it's exhausted or ruined.
You can run a car into the ground by driving it until it falls apart, run a joke into the ground by repeating it past the point of humor, or run a business into the ground through poor decisions: The new owners ran the company into the ground within two years.
- overstressEmphasize beyond proper measure
- overuseExcessive employment of something
- overworkToil to exhaustion
- overdoExceed reasonable limits
- beat a dead horsePursue a pointless argument
mishandling · neglect · burn the candle · run ragged · exploitation · bankruptcy · collapse · burnout · obsolescence · breakdown · failure · depletion · run dry · use up · wastefulness · fatigue · worn thin · overextension
running into the groundpreserving
Protecting from deterioration
maintaining · taking care of · looking after · keeping up · safeguarding
running into the groundbuilding up
Increasing gradually
restoring · revitalizing · rehabilitating · improving · renewing
runner, runners, ground, grounds, grounded, grounding, groundless, underground