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Back to basics vs Back to square one

admin Confusing Phrases

back to basics—returning to the previously held fundamental principles:

  • In her quest to shape up, Rebekah shunned weight loss clinics and fad diets, instead opting for a back-to-basics approach.

back to square one—returning to the starting-point of an experiment, etc. because of failure or lack of progress:

  • He put forward this analysis of the latest development: “We are back to square one.”