All our efforts 'came to naught'. = ('US') All our efforts 'went for naught'. [=we did not succeed in doing what we were trying to do]
('chiefly US') It was 'all for naught'. [=it was all for nothing]
(..) - What? Call him names. Run him down all the time. Because. Because that's what he is, Mr. Frodo. There's naught left in him but lies and deceit. It's the Ring he wants. It's all he cares about. You have no idea what it did to him... ...what it's still doing to him. (..)2002 The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers