go up in flames

English

Pronunciation

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

Verb

go up in flames (third-person singular simple present goes up in flames, present participle going up in flames, simple past went up in flames, past participle gone up in flames)

1. (idiomatic, literal) To catch fire.
2. (idiomatic, figurative) To be cancelled or ruined without any hope of return.

Synonyms

• go up in smoke

Related terms

• go down in flames