going down the tubes

A form of go down the tubes — Synonym of go down the toilet: to fail; to degenerate rapidly.

Meanings

verb
  1. gerundparticiplepresentpresent participle and gerund of go down the tubes
Cite this entry
APA

going down the tubes. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/going%20down%20the%20tubes

MLA

“going down the tubes.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/going%20down%20the%20tubes. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “going down the tubes,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/going%20down%20the%20tubes.

Source: going down the tubes on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.