English idiom · neutral · spoken & written · BrE & AmE
back to the drawing board: meaning and examples
back to the drawing board means start planning again because the first attempt failed.
Aprende la expresión como una unidad fija y observa la preposición y la forma verbal en los ejemplos.
این عبارت را بهصورت یک واحد ثابت یاد بگیرید و به حرف اضافه و شکل فعل در مثالها توجه کنید.
Lerne die Wendung als feste Einheit und achte in den Beispielen auf Präposition und Verbform.
Apprenez l’expression comme une unité fixe et observez la préposition et la forme verbale dans les exemples.
Memory hook: Build a clear mental picture from “back to the drawing board” and connect it to this meaning: start planning again because the first attempt failed.
How to use “back to the drawing board”
- The prototype failed, so it’s back to the drawing board.
- We may have to go back to the drawing board.
Common mistake: Treat “back to the drawing board” as a fixed expression. Notice its exact word order in the examples.
Learn it in context
This expression belongs to Lesson 6, where you can compare it with other idioms about productivity and practise it interactively.
Open the full lesson →