Back to the Drawing Board.
English
idiom
When a plan fails, you need to start over.
Trusted by1.5M+English learners & teachers worldwide
When a plan fails, you need to start over.
Trusted by1.5M+English learners & teachers worldwide
To start a plan or project over from the beginning because it failed.
When you go back to the drawing board, the previous attempt didn't work and you need a completely new approach.
It's used when a strategy, design, or idea has to be entirely rethought from the start.
"Start from Scratch"
—
To begin something new with no prior work as a starting point
"Back to Square One"
—
Returning to the very beginning after any kind of setback
"Back to the Drawing Board"
—
Restarting a failed plan or project with a completely new approach
The client rejected the entire proposal — they want something different.
Then it's back to the drawing board — let's meet first thing tomorrow.
My apartment search fell through again — I don't know what to do.
Back to the drawing board — maybe it's time to adjust your budget.
I tried making the cake three times and it kept collapsing.
Back to the drawing board every single time — sounds exhausting!
