Definition, Meaning & Synonyms

crash-and-burn

idiom

/kræʃ ənd bɜrn/

Definition

To fail spectacularly or dramatically, especially after an ambitious attempt.

Examples

After investing so much time and money, the startup’s launch crashed and burned on the first day.
The movie was highly anticipated but ended up crashing and burning at the box office.

Meaning

Crash-and-burn refers to a situation where something fails completely and often in a very visible way. It is commonly used to describe projects, plans, or ideas that were expected to succeed but instead ended in disaster.