square one
1
the point or situation from which one starts to do something
The idiom "square one" is believed to have originated in the game of Snakes and Ladders, where players who land on a snake's head are sent back to the beginning of the game. In modern usage, it can refer to any situation where a person or group has to start over from the beginning. It can apply to personal or professional contexts, and can refer to both minor and major setbacks.
- After the project failed, they had to go back to square one and rethink their strategy.
- It feels like I'm at square one again after losing all my data.
- The team realized their plan wasn’t working and returned to square one.
- Starting from square one, she began to build her career from scratch.
- Every time we encounter a major setback, we find ourselves back at square one.