crash and burn

Verb

crash and burn (third-person singular simple present crashes and burns, present participle crashing and burning, simple past and past participle crashed and burned)

1. (informal) To fail utterly.
   • Near-synonyms: go up in flames, go up in smoke, come to nought, come to nothing
   • Crash and burn, huh, Mav?1986, Jim Cash, Jack Epps Jr., Top Gun (motion picture), spoken by Slider (Rick Rossovich)

   Synonyms:

   go down in flames, go up in flames, go up in smoke, come to nought, come to nothing

2. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see crash, and, burn.
   • Near-synonym: go down in flames

   Synonyms:

   go down in flames