circle the drain

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circle the drain

verb circles the drain · circling the drain · circled the drain

idiomatic, informal To be in a rapid decline or in a state of downfall, especially as leading to an inevitable utter failure or destruction. Our emergency medical services are, nonetheless, circling the drain.

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MLA

"circle the drain." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/circle%20the%20drain. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

circle the drain. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/circle%20the%20drain

Chicago

"circle the drain." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/circle%20the%20drain.

BibTeX

@misc{circle_the_drain_2026,
  title = {circle the drain},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/circle%20the%20drain},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}