Death By A Thousand Cuts

Death by a thousand cuts is a figure of speech that refers to a failure that occurs as a result of many small problems. Death by a thousand cuts could refer to the termination of a proposed deal as a result of several small issues rather than one major one. This term could also apply to a product or idea that is destroyed by too many minor changes.

This figure of speech refers to the idea that while a single small cut may not be not fatal, the cumulative effect of many of them could cause a person to bleed to death. The term is derived from an ancient form of torture in which the condemned person was subjected to a number of minor wounds until the accumulation of damage became fatal.