back to the old drawing board

A form of back to the drawing board — Indicates that one must try a different strategy in order to achieve some goal following the failure of a recent attempt.

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Meanings

adverbback to the old drawing board (not comparable)
  1. alternativenot comparableAlternative form of back to the drawing board.
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

“back to the old drawing board.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/back%20to%20the%20old%20drawing%20board. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “back to the old drawing board,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/back%20to%20the%20old%20drawing%20board.

Source: back to the old drawing board on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.