go down in flames

go down in flames

To fail spectacularly or to a great degree. Despite all the media hype, the major summer blockbuster went down in flames—hardly anyone went to see it while it was in theaters.See also: down, flame, go

go down in flames

 1. Lit. [for a plane] to crash. The enemy fighter planes went down in flames, ending the battle. The pilot and crew went down in flames near the air-port. 2. . Fig. to fail spectacularly. The whole project went down in flames. Todd wentdown in flames in his efforts to win the heart of Marsha.See also: down, flame, go

go down in flames

in. to fail spectacularly. (see also shoot someone down in flames, crash and burn.) The whole team went down in flames. See also: down, flame, go