Meaning & use
up in smoke
Last updated
Meanings
phraseidiominformal
If plans, hopes, or money go up in smoke, they are completely ruined or wasted.
Grammar: Used with verbs like 'go' or 'be': all my savings went up in smoke.
Patterns
- go up in smoke
- be up in smoke
- something goes up in smoke
All our holiday plans went up in smoke when the flight was canceled.
His dreams of becoming a pilot went up in smoke after the accident.
The investment went up in smoke within a week.
phraseidiominformal
To be completely destroyed by fire.
Grammar: Often used literally for buildings or objects burned in a fire.
Patterns
- go up in smoke
- be up in smoke
The old barn went up in smoke in minutes.
The entire warehouse was up in smoke before firefighters arrived.
Common combinations
- go up in smoke
- Their savings went up in smoke after the stock market crash.
- plans go up in smoke
- Our wedding plans went up in smoke due to the storm.
- all ... up in smoke
- All his hard work went up in smoke when the project was canceled.
Synonyms and how they differ
- fall apart
- Fall apart means to break into pieces or fail, often gradually; up in smoke suggests a sudden, complete loss.
- go down the drain
- Go down the drain is similar but often used for money or effort wasted over time.
Opposites
Commonly confused: up in smoke or smoke?
up in smoke vs smoke
Smoke is the visible gas from a fire; up in smoke is an idiom meaning ruined or destroyed.
Practice
When the company went bankrupt, all the employees' pension funds ______.
Choose one answer.
Up in smoke means completely wasted or lost. 'Up in flames' is literal burning, 'up in the air' means uncertain, and 'up in arms' means angry and protesting.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “up in smoke”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.