Back to the beginning
Return to where one started from
Return to the starting point, start all over again
Start again from the beginning because previous attempt failed
Having tried to solve the problem for quite some time, we were back to square one when none of our solutions worked.
The Government and the State Bank spent years strengthening the nation’s economy but the recession and slowdown shattered it, so we are back to square one.
The local authorities had repaired the roads a few month ago, but heavy rains damaged them again, so we are back to square one.
The opposing parties had been trying to come to a compromise, but when the negotiations broke down, they were back to square one.
The police haven’t made any breakthroughs in solving the crime. Their investigation led them to a dead end, so now they are back to square one.
If they do not accept our proposal, we will be back to square one.
There is no origin for this idiom
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definition
Common phrase that has a specific meaning.