go down the tubes

go down the tubes

English

Alternative forms

• go down the tube

Pronunciation

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Verb

go down the tubes (third-person singular simple present goes down the tubes, present participle going down the tubes, simple past went down the tubes, past participle gone down the tubes)

1. (euphemistic, idiomatic, US) Synonym of go down the toilet: to fail; to degenerate rapidly.

   The entire plan went down the tubes when they found they couldn't get strawberries in December.