never to be found again

USAGE SUMMARY

The part of the sentence "never to be found again" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use this phrase to indicate that an object or situation is lost permanently or is unlikely to reappear. For example, "The lost treasure of the kingdom was never to be found again."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

14 human-written examples

Like the Magic Shop in the H. G. Wells short story, its door will not just close behind us but disappear, never to be found again.

The New York Times

"Some girls were in danger of vanishing just as children in fairy tales disappeared," Hoffman writes, "out the door, under the hedge, never to be found again".

The New York Times - Books

Don't you know that?" In the film, violent crime is portrayed as comic and lurid but also, finally, as pathetic: the grandest plans end with a suitcase of cash buried deep beneath the snow, never to be found again.

The New Yorker

An intensive rescue mission ensued immediately by the Coast Guard and navy that covered 700,000 square kilometers over five days, during which another plane carrying 13 passengers disappeared, never to be found again.

Britannica

12 48 p.m. | Updated SEATTLE — ABC News is reporting that it has found a woman who claims to have been the niece of the mystery man known as D.B. Cooper who hijacked an airplane here 40 years ago and parachuted out of it, never to be found again.

The New York Times

Atlantis ultimately sank into the sea -- never to be found again.

Forbes

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

46 human-written examples

I worried if I stopped remembering what once was, the comfortable life I knew would slip away forever, never to be found or felt again.

Huffington Post

"Perhaps, then, we seek to jot down our thoughts more readily, in case we forget them, in case we lose some insight into the world that we cannot expect to remember in a world of endless distraction and stimulus... it has become a way for us to keep track of things we fear will disappear into our memories and never be found again".

The Guardian

Elsewhere he writes: "Sartre is the only [intellectual] of his generation with a unique energy which will never be found again in anyone else".

The Guardian - Books

As one of your countrymen, Benjamin Franklin, put it, "You may delay but time will not, and lost time will never be found again". That's the place we're in right now.

Yale University

Now, every potentially important piece of paper must go in a labeled file (even if that file has only one thing in it), and the files stored alphabetically in a labeled drawer or box, lest they never be found again.

The New York Times - Health

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use the phrase "never to be found again" to add a sense of finality or mystery when describing the loss or disappearance of something. It's particularly effective in narratives or contexts where the irretrievability is emphasized.

Common error

Avoid using "never to be found again" in technical or scientific writing where a more precise description of loss or irretrievability is required. Opt for terms like "unrecoverable" or "undetectable" to maintain a professional tone.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "never to be found again" functions as an adverbial phrase modifying a verb, often emphasizing the finality of a loss or disappearance. As Ludwig AI states, this highlights a sense of permanent loss or unlikelihood of reappearance. The phrase adds emotional weight and narrative drama.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

65%

Encyclopedias

15%

Wiki

10%

Less common in

Science

5%

Formal & Business

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "never to be found again" is a grammatically correct and commonly used expression to emphasize the finality of a loss or disappearance. It functions as an adverbial phrase, adding a sense of drama and irretrievability to a narrative. While the phrase appears across various contexts, it is most frequent in News & Media and Encyclopedias, which contributes to its neutral register. As Ludwig AI confirms, the phrase effectively communicates that something has been definitively lost or is highly unlikely to reappear. When writing, use this phrase to convey a sense of mystery or tragedy, ensuring its appropriateness in the context and avoiding overuse in technical or scientific writing where precision is paramount.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

permanently lost

Emphasizes the state of being lost with no expectation of recovery, differing from the original by directly stating the permanence.

gone forever

Highlights the finality of the loss, making it a stronger statement of irreversibility compared to the original.

lost for good

Stresses that the loss is not temporary, differing in idiom but maintaining a similar level of impact.

unrecoverable

Focuses on the inability to get something back, shifting the perspective from finding to recovering.

irretrievable

Similar to "unrecoverable", but with a slightly more formal tone.

beyond retrieval

Emphasizes that recovery is impossible, positioning the loss as insurmountable.

vanished without a trace

Highlights the complete disappearance of something, adding a layer of mystery not necessarily present in the original.

disappeared completely

Focuses on the thoroughness of the disappearance, lacking the implication of a search.

never to return

Focuses on the aspect of return, differing from the original's emphasis on finding.

cannot be located again

More literal and less evocative, this alternative stresses the inability to find something without the emotional weight of the original.

FAQs

How can I use "never to be found again" in a sentence?

This phrase is used to emphasize that something is permanently lost or has disappeared completely. For example: "The ancient artifact vanished from the museum, "never to be found again"."

What are some alternatives to "never to be found again"?

You can use alternatives such as "permanently lost", "gone forever", or "unrecoverable" depending on the context.

Is it grammatically correct to say "never to be found again"?

Yes, it is grammatically correct. It's a phrase that often appears in literature and news reporting to convey a sense of permanent loss or disappearance.

What's the difference between "never to be seen again" and "never to be found again"?

"Never to be seen again" implies that something or someone has disappeared from view, while "never to be found again" suggests a more active search has been undertaken, and the object or person remains missing.