bæk tuː skwer wʌn
General
neutral
beginner
- Literally:
- Returning to the first square on a board game
What does "back to square one" mean?
- Back to the beginning after a failure
- Starting over from the very beginning
Examples
- The project failed inspection, so we're back to square one.
- After the merger fell through, negotiations were back to square one.
- I lost all my work and had to go back to square one.
Origin
Possibly from board games like Snakes and Ladders where players return to square one. Another theory links it to early BBC football radio commentary in the 1930s, which divided the pitch into numbered squares.
How to use it
Very common expression for describing setbacks. Usually implies frustration but can also suggest a fresh start.
Similar expressions
back to the drawing board
start over
from scratch
Opposites
making progress
moving forward
Related idioms
- actions speak louder than words
What people do is more important than what they say
- better safe than sorry
It's better to be careful and prevent problems than to take risks
- so far so good
Things have gone well up to now
- easier said than done
Something is more difficult to do than to talk about
- make a long story short
To summarize or get to the point
- to make matters worse
In addition to existing problems
Use it in a practice answer
Try "back to square one" in a CELPIP-style Speaking or Writing task. The AI feedback tells you whether your word choice worked.