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

• in the heat of something
• in the heat of the moment
• in the hole
• in the hot seat
• in the house
• in the interim
• in their infinite wisdom
• in their wisdom
• in the know
• in the lap of luxury
• in the light of
• in the light of something
• in the line of duty
• in the line of fire
• in the long haul
• in the long run
• in the long term
• in the loop
• in the main
• in the making
• in the market for
• in the market for something
• in the meantime
• in the meanwhile
• in the medium term