final nail in the coffin

final nail in the coffin

An event, decision, action, etc., that seals, confirms, or ultimately leads to the failure of a situation or event that has already begun to fail. The candidate's uncouth comments toward the lower class were the final nail in the coffin of an already foundering campaign.
See also: coffin, final, nail
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
See also:
  • a straw in the wind
  • straw in the wind
  • gala affair
  • happy event
  • the happy event
  • a/the happy event
  • in the event of
  • in the event of (something)
  • in the event of something
  • it'll be all right on the night
References in periodicals archive
Jean Smith, via e-mail FP: Jean, I went for years thinking it couldn't be true, despite evidence to the contrary, but the heartbreaking accounts of the abuse from Jackson's damaged victims, James Safechuck and Wade Robson, were the final nail in the coffin. No one could make that up, and they clearly still suffer mental health damage.
'Sadly, this was the final nail in the coffin,' she had said.
Talking to a private television channel, Awan stated that she was working her fingers to the bone to put final nail in the coffin of PMLN in her constituency.
Sheikh Rashid added that the head of Panama JIT Wajid Zia has exposed the truth by testifying the receipt of pay by Nawaz Sharif which will prove the final nail in the coffin of PML (N) and Nawaz Sharif.
Ironically, the recent celebrations of the fight for universal suffrage only serve to illustrate that the Brexit referendum has proved the final nail in the coffin of our unreformed firstpast-the-post voting system which denies most of us any real choice in how we are governed.
The current issue contains the final part of our series dedicated to the music in Bohemia during the reign of Rudolf II, as well as the first part of the series focusing on far more recent, and far more gloomy, history: the musicologist Viktor Pantucek has immersed himself in the turbid and bizarre waters of the culture during the Stalinist epoch, whereby, under the banner and yoke of the socialist realism principles the cheerful arts were to administer the final victory of some and the final nail in the coffin of others.
Asked if his brief flirtation with reality TV had broken his marriage, Fergus replied: "It was the final nail in the coffin, but it wasn't just that.
The loss of Annie Othen's regular morning programme was also a bitter blow and losing Shane is the final nail in the coffin.
Indeed such a change could be the final nail in the coffin of the Lib Dem party.
Ynys Gybi councillor Jeff Evans said: "Closure of the crown offices will be the final nail in the coffin for businesses and town centres.
A penalty could have given Succop another chance to hammer the final nail in the coffin on the Chargers' playoff hope, but they went on to win the match and beat the Pittsburgh Steelers for the final wildcard AFC playoff spot.
NNA - Caretaker Tourism Minister, Fadi Abboud, confirmed that the muddled security situation in Lebanon is closely linked to the regional incidents, calling on the security apparatuses to "tighten the monitoring and take the required actions to control security." Concerning the Cabinet issue, Abboud told "Voice of Lebanon" radio on Monday that attitudes have not changed yet and things are still the same; duly, the formation is still far away, repeating his call to "form a government of poles." In response to a question about the impact of the security situation on the tourism season, Abboud considered "the Ruwais explosion was the final nail in the coffin of tourism," stressing that there would be no tourism without political stability and security.
The final nail in the coffin must be high-profile party member Adil Bhatti's decision to resign following their position over NATO.
Society Rock was the final nail in the coffin but it does mean there will be well over pounds 500,000 up for grabs next weekend."
This is the man that was happy to hammer the final nail in the coffin of MG Rover, putting thousands on the dole and dealing a huge blow to UK manufacturing.