From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishdrop/go down like ninepinsdrop/go down like ninepinsif people or things drop like ninepins, many of them fall down or become ill or injured suddenly all at the same time It’s just three weeks into the season and players are dropping like ninepins. → ninepins
Examples from the Corpus
drop/go down like ninepins• Men and horses went down like ninepins before them, in a tangle of waving limbs, flailing hooves and broken lances. 