final nail in the coffin

noun

Something that is ultimately responsible for a previously prospective demise or failure.

“The Slurpie Shack franchise was already considering filing for bankruptcy after five years of poor profits, but a fire that destroyed the flagship restaurant was the final nail in the coffin.”

Similar
last nail in the coffin
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Meanings

nounfinal nail in the coffin (plural final nails in the coffin)

plural final nails in the coffin

  1. idiomaticSomething that is ultimately responsible for a previously prospective demise or failure.

    The Slurpie Shack franchise was already considering filing for bankruptcy after five years of poor profits, but a fire that destroyed the flagship restaurant was the final nail in the coffin.

    Synonyms: last nail in the coffin

Synonyms & antonyms

nounSomething that is ultimately responsible for a previously prospective demise or failure.

Similar
last nail in the coffin

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 催命符
  • 催命符 (cuīmìngfú)something responsible for a prospective demise
Finnish viimeinen naula arkkuun
  • viimeinen naula arkkuunsomething responsible for a prospective demise
French coup de grâce, dernier clou dans le cercueil
  • coup de grâcesomething responsible for a prospective demise
  • dernier clou dans le cercueilsomething responsible for a prospective demise
German Sargnagel
  • Sargnagelsomething responsible for a prospective demise
Italian colpo di grazia
  • colpo di graziasomething responsible for a prospective demise
Polish ostatni gwóźdź do trumny
  • ostatni gwóźdź do trumnysomething responsible for a prospective demise
Russian последний гвоздь в крышку гроба
  • последний гвоздь в крышку гроба (poslednij gvozdʹ v kryšku groba)something responsible for a prospective demise
Spanish último clavo en el ataúd
  • último clavo en el ataúdsomething responsible for a prospective demise
Swedish sista spiken i kistan
  • sista spiken i kistansomething responsible for a prospective demise
Cite this entry
APA

final nail in the coffin. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/final%20nail%20in%20the%20coffin

MLA

“final nail in the coffin.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/final%20nail%20in%20the%20coffin. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “final nail in the coffin,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/final%20nail%20in%20the%20coffin.

Source: final nail in the coffin on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.