What it means
Means a plan, story, or situation suddenly goes wrong and starts falling apart, often right when you thought you’d nailed it. It’s basically the figurative version of something that was stuck or held together, then slips loose. You’ll hear it in everyday chat, news, and sport when a team or idea hits a snag and unravels.
Usage examples
"Our mate’s big charity do was flying till the band’s van broke down and the whole night came unstuck, so we stuck the jukebox on and cracked on."
"The whole plan came unstuck when the venue double-booked us and the caterer never showed."
"He was top of the league until injuries hit and his season completely came unstuck."
"We thought the launch was sorted, then the website crashed at midnight and the whole thing came unstuck."
"She kept the lie going for weeks, but it all came unstuck when her brother spilled the truth at dinner."
Where it comes from
This one’s been around in British English since the 1800s. It first turned up in more literal talk about things getting loose or detached, then slid neatly into figurative use for plans, stories, and situations falling apart. That image still does the heavy lifting, something looked held together, then suddenly it wasn’t.
Other ways to say it
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