broken halberds buried in the sand, serving as a physical reminder of a fierce ancient battle

杜牧在《赤壁》中写道：“折戟沉沙铁未销，自将磨洗认前朝。”

metaphor for suffering a disastrous failure or a total defeat in a major undertaking

这位曾经的行业巨头在激烈的市场竞争中折戟沉沙，最终宣告破产。