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3. go up in smoke

go up in smoke

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go up in smoke

to be wasted The research project was canceled, and five years of hard work went up in smoke.

Related vocabulary: go down in flames

See also: smoke, up

go up in smoke

if a plan or some work goes up in smoke, it is spoiled or wasted Then his business went bankrupt and 20 years of hard work went up in smoke.

See also: smoke, up