Back to square one means back at the beginning: the last attempt failed, and you have to start again. The venue cancelled, so we're back to square one with our event plans. Square here is a box on a game board, the very first one. It sounds casual and a little frustrated.
When would you say back to square one?
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be / go back to square one; send someone back to square one
- The venue cancelled, so we're back to square one with our event plans.
- Losing the draft sent me back to square one.
- If neither supplier can deliver, we'll have to go back to square one.
What changed
First versionThe agreement fell through, and we went back at square one.
RevisionThe agreement fell through, and we went back to square one.
Being at the start suggests at, as in at the start. But after a movement verb like went back, English needs direction: went back to square one, like go back to school. At only works with be: we're back at square one.
Start over means begin again, even by choice. Back to square one means you're forced to, after a failure. Back to the drawing board means the plan itself has to be redone.
Your turn
Our only candidate declined, so we must start the search again. We are back to square ___.
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one — The square's number is one, not first. The idiom is only square one.
Describe a setback that made you plan a trip or a search all over again, using back to square one.
Our booking was cancelled, so we're back to square one with the holiday plans.
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