Synonyms

down the drain

Idioms

On the way to being lost or wasted; disappearing. For example, Buying new furniture when they can't take it with them is just pouring money down the drain, or During the Depression huge fortunes went down the drain. This metaphoric term alludes to water going down a drain and being carried off. [Colloquial; c. 1920] For a synonym, see down the tubes.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Another deposit down the drain.

From The Wall Street Journal

In an X post after his event was stopped, Brown wrote, “300k down the drain.”

From Los Angeles Times

As I lather my hair, leftover sand washes off my feet and swirls down the drain.

From Literature

He watched the water go down the drain with a gurgling sound.

From Literature

A new wave of smart toilet technology captures some of the data we flush down the drain—and aims to unlock health clues contained within.

From The Wall Street Journal

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023