go up in flames

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go up in flames

verb goes up in flames · going up in flames · went up in flames · gone up in flames

idiomatic To catch fire.
Similar: go up in smoke, catch fire, catch on fire, combust, conflagrate, fire, go up in flames, ignite, light, spunk, take fire
figuratively, idiomatic To be cancelled or ruined without any hope of return. This world / Is going up in flames / And nobody / Wanna take the blame
Similar: burn down, burn up, come to nothing, end in smoke, go up in smoke

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MLA

"go up in flames." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/go%20up%20in%20flames. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

go up in flames. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/go%20up%20in%20flames

Chicago

"go up in flames." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/go%20up%20in%20flames.

BibTeX

@misc{go_up_in_flames_2026,
  title = {go up in flames},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/go%20up%20in%20flames},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}