1.
to go back to square one; to be reset to zero; to return to a blank slate
For a plan, negotiation, or project to be undone and returned to its initial state with nothing decided.
交渉が白紙に戻った。
The negotiations went back to square one.
計画は白紙に戻り、最初からやり直すことになった。
The plan was reset to zero, and we had to start over from the beginning.
予算の問題で建設計画が白紙に戻り、関係者は落胆した。
The construction plan was scrapped due to budget problems, and those involved were disappointed.
Literally "to return to blank paper," this expression describes a situation where progress is lost and everything returns to the starting point. The image is of a written-on paper being replaced with a blank one. Often used for plans, negotiations, agreements, and projects.
USAGE:
- The intransitive 白紙に戻る means something reverts on its own or due to circumstances
- The transitive 白紙に戻す means someone actively resets or scraps something
- Often implies disappointment or frustration at lost progress
- Common in news and business contexts
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 計画が白紙に戻る: the plan goes back to square one
- 交渉が白紙に戻る: negotiations return to zero
- 白紙に戻す: to reset, to scrap (transitive)
- 白紙撤回: complete withdrawal/retraction
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 振り出しに戻る: to go back to the starting point — similar meaning; comes from the board game metaphor of returning to start
- ゼロからやり直す: to start over from zero — focuses on the action of restarting rather than the state
- 水の泡になる: to come to nothing — emphasizes that effort was wasted
- 御破算になる: to be cancelled, called off — from abacus terminology; means everything is reset