C1idiomsuccessIELTS-friendly
back to the drawing board
USUK
used when a plan has failed and you must start planning again
About plans and designs. 'Back to square one' is more general: you return to where you started.
In context
The customers hated the new logo, so it's back to the drawing board.
When the bank refused our loan, we had to go back to the drawing board.
More idioms about success
- a blessing in disguisesomething that seems bad at first but later brings a good result
- a close calla situation in which you only just avoid danger or failure
- a dream come truesomething you have wanted for a long time that has finally happened
- a feather in your capan achievement that you can be proud of and that may help you later
- a flash in the pana sudden success that does not last or happen again