drive (something) into the ground

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drive (something) into the ground

1. To manage or maintain something very poorly, resulting in its destruction, failure, or loss of functionality. If you would just remember to get your oil changed, you wouldn't keep driving your cars into the ground. This is the fourth time he's walked away from a company he helped drive into the ground.

2. To continue to discuss or address some issue or topic that is no longer of any use or relevance; to belabor something. We've all moved on from that problem, so there's no use driving it into the ground. It was enough for him to chide me for the mistake once, but he drove it into the ground again and again over the next few weeks.

drive/run/work yourself into the ˈground

work so hard that you become extremely tired: You need to be careful, or you’ll run yourself into the ground before long. ♢ With only two or three hours’ sleep a night, he was driving himself into the ground.