to start something again because the previous attempt failed.

Researchers went back to the drawing board to find where they went wrong.

Usage notes: sometimes used without go:

When we thought we were finished, he sent us back to the drawing board and asked us to completely redo it.

Related vocabulary: back to square one

• catch someone dead to rights
• catch someone in the act
• catch someone off guard
• catch someone on the hop
• catch someone red-handed
• catch someone's eye
• catch someone with fingers in the till
• catch someone with hand in the till
• catch someone with their fingers in the till
• catch someone with their hand in the till
• catch some rays
• catch some z's
• catch the wave
• catch up on
• catch up on something
• catch with fingers in the till
• catch with hand in the till
• catch with their fingers in the till
• catch with their hand in the till
• catch you later
• catch you napping
• catch your breath
• catch your death!
• catch your death of cold!
• cat got tongue