Is there an Idiom for someone who tried but failed because it was too much for him

I’m wondering if there’s an idiom similar to an idiom in Czech.
In Czech, it’s ‘Vylámat si na něčem zuby’ ~ ‘To break one’s teeth on something’.

To try and do something but failing nonetheless.
It’s almost always used after the fact, but it can be used as a warning too.

‘He tried to untighten the screw and spent all day on it and still nothing. He broke his teeth on it.’