back to square one

adjective

Located back at the start, as after a dead end or failure.

“After spending six hours on the intake we realized that there was nothing wrong with it, so we are back to square one.”

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Meanings

adjectiveback to square one (not comparable)
  1. idiomaticnot comparableLocated back at the start, as after a dead end or failure.

    After spending six hours on the intake we realized that there was nothing wrong with it, so we are back to square one.

    1 more example

    Withal he has the problem of maintaining the interest of the reader who is always being sent back to square one in a sort of intellectual game of snakes and ladders.

    1952, Edward Maurice Hugh-Jones, “The American Economy, 1860-1940. by A. J. Youngson Brown”, in The Economic Journal, page 411
adverbback to square one (not comparable)
  1. idiomaticnot comparableBack to the start, as after a dead end or failure.

    After spending six hours on the intake we realized that there was nothing wrong with it, so we went back to square one.

Origin

Probably from a metaphorical use of the children’s games snakes and ladders.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 回到原點 /回到原点
  • 回到原點 /回到原点 (huídào yuándiǎn)back to the start, as after a dead-end or failure
Dutch terug naar af, terug naar af
  • terug naar aflocated back at the start, as after a dead-end or failure
  • terug naar afback to the start, as after a dead-end or failure
Finnish takaisin lähtöruutuun
  • takaisin lähtöruutuunback to the start, as after a dead-end or failure
French de retour à la case départ, de retour à la case départ
  • de retour à la case départlocated back at the start, as after a dead-end or failure
  • de retour à la case départback to the start, as after a dead-end or failure
  • Gros-Jean comme devantback to the start, as after a dead-end or failure
German Alles auf Anfang, zurück auf Feld eins
  • Alles auf Anfanglocated back at the start, as after a dead-end or failure
  • zurück auf Feld einslocated back at the start, as after a dead-end or failure
Hindi लौट के बुद्धू घर को आए
  • लौट के बुद्धू घर को आए (lauṭ ke buddhū ghar ko āe)back to the start, as after a dead-end or failure
Indonesian kembali ke awal, balik ke awal
  • kembali ke awallocated back at the start, as after a dead-end or failure
  • balik ke awallocated back at the start, as after a dead-end or failure
  • kembali ke awalback to the start, as after a dead-end or failure
  • balik ke awalback to the start, as after a dead-end or failure
Italian essere punto e a capo
  • essere punto e a capolocated back at the start, as after a dead-end or failure
Polish w punkcie wyjścia, w punkcie wyjścia
  • w punkcie wyjścialocated back at the start, as after a dead-end or failure
  • w punkcie wyjściaback to the start, as after a dead-end or failure
Portuguese voltar à estaca zero
  • voltar à estaca zerolocated back at the start, as after a dead-end or failure
Russian на круги своя́, у разби́того коры́та
  • на круги своя́ (na krugi svojá)located back at the start, as after a dead-end or failure
  • у разби́того коры́та (u razbítovo korýta)located back at the start, as after a dead-end or failure
Spanish de vuelta a la casilla de salida, volver a la casilla de salida
  • de vuelta a la casilla de salidalocated back at the start, as after a dead-end or failure
  • volver a la casilla de salidalocated back at the start, as after a dead-end or failure
  • foja ceroback to the start, as after a dead-end or failure
  • fojas ceroback to the start, as after a dead-end or failure
  • de vuelta a la casilla de salidaback to the start, as after a dead-end or failure
  • volver a la casilla de salidaback to the start, as after a dead-end or failure
Swedish tillbaka till ruta ett
  • tillbaka till ruta ettlocated back at the start, as after a dead-end or failure
Tagalog balik sa umpisa
  • balik sa umpisalocated back at the start, as after a dead-end or failure
Cite this entry
APA

back to square one. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/back%20to%20square%20one

MLA

“back to square one.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/back%20to%20square%20one. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “back to square one,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/back%20to%20square%20one.

Source: back to square one on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.