back to the drawing board

1. A saying indicating that one's effort has failed, and one must start all over again: “The new package we designed hasn't increased our sales as we'd hoped, so it's back to the drawing board.”

Idioms and Phrases

Also, back to square one. Back to the beginning because the current attempt was unsuccessful, as in When the town refused to fund our music program, we had to go back to the drawing board, or I've assembled this wrong side up, so it's back to square one. The first term originated during World War II, most likely from the caption of a cartoon by Peter Arno in The New Yorker magazine. It pictured a man who held a set of blueprints and was watching an airplane explode. The variant is thought to come from a board game or street game where an unlucky throw of dice or a marker sends the player back to the beginning of the course. It was popularized by British sports-casters in the 1930s, when the printed radio program included a grid with numbered squares to help listeners follow the description of a soccer game.

Example Sentences

The format tried in March was a flop, with Silver admitting, “We’re a bit back to the drawing board.”

From Los Angeles Times

But his momentum didn’t last, and he ended his night by admitting, “Taking myself back to the drawing board.”

From Los Angeles Times

Several weeks later, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an executive order reaffirming California’s commitment to its emissions goals, and effectively sending state agencies back to the drawing board in light of a newly antagonistic federal government.

From Los Angeles Times

In the fall of 2023, the City Council said the wall was too important to be moved and sent Pastor’s company back to the drawing board.

From Los Angeles Times

Dubois has gone back to the drawing board, rebuilding his career with three successive victories, including a stunning knockout win against Anthony Joshua.

From BBC