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3. go up in flames

go up in flames

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go up in flames

 and go up in smoke 

1. Lit. to burn up completely. The entire forest went up in flames! The expensive house went up in smoke.

2. Fig. [for value or investment] to be lost suddenly and totally. Everything we own has gone up in flames with the stock crash. The entire investment went up in smoke.

See also: flame, up

go up in flames

to fail or come to an end suddenly and completely Final hopes of a pay settlement went up in flames yesterday after talks broke down.

See fan the flames, shoot down in flames

See also: flame, up

go up in flames

Also, go up in smoke. Be utterly destroyed, as in This project will go up in flames if the designer quits, or All our work is going up in smoke. This idiom transfers a fire to other kinds of destruction. [Early 1900s]

See also: flame, up