A second-half implosion has dented the Highlanders' hopes of reaching the Super Rugby Pacific playoffs even further, falling to a 48-32 defeat to the Brumbies in Canberra.
Up 20-19 at halftime, the Highlanders gave up 29 points in the second half - including two tries with a numerical advantage to fall to a fifth straight defeat.
The result sees the Highlanders drop to 11th out of 12 on the Super Rugby ladder, with the 16-point margin enough for Melbourne Rebels to overtake the Kiwi strugglers into 10th place.
Sunday's defeat leaves the Highlanders winless since the end of March, and faced with an uphill task to break into the top eight before the end of the regular season with three games to go.
In a see-saw start to the encounter, the two sides traded points through the opening spell, right until the halftime whistle.
As the Highlanders opened the scoring through the boot of Freddie Burns, the Brumbies hit back as centre Len Ikitau dived into the corner for the first try of the afternoon.
Making his first Super Rugby start since 2021, winger Jona Nareki gave the Highlanders the lead again, latching onto an offensive bomb from Burns, before beating two defenders to score against the uprights.
Again, though, the Brumbies responded with a try, as Jahrome Brown went over from close range after an attacking scrum.
In the absence of Aaron Smith - on All Blacks rest - Folau Fakatava was excellent in marshalling the Highlanders' attack, and put prop Daniel Lienert-Brown over next, as the visitors took a 17-12 lead.
As both sides continued to trade blows, Wallabies lock Darcy Swain looked to have given the Brumbies the halftime lead when he scored his first Super Rugby try, before Burns' boot saw the Highlanders go in front with the final act of the first half, up 20-19.
However, in the second spell, the Southerners fell apart against a Brumbies side at the peak of its powers.
Peter Umaga-Jensen dotted over to extend the Highlanders' lead to 25-19, only for winger Corey Toole to hit back from the next play with a score out wide of his own.
The Highlanders looked to have the upper hand on the hour mark, as Fakatava picked and went to score under advantage, before Brumbies reserve forward Luke Reimer was shown a yellow card for repeat infringements.
But with an extra man, the Highlanders conceded two tries in less than 10 minutes to completely lose control of the game.
No.8 Pete Samu scored from a set play short lineout, before a stunning solo effort gave Toole his second, as the ball of the bounce undid Connor Garden-Bachop as the Highlanders' last man.
From 32-26 up when Reimer was sent to the bin, the Highlanders fell behind 38-32 by the time the Brumbies were back to full strength.
A penalty to Noah Lolesio put the Brumbies ahead by more than a converted try, leaving the Highlanders with it all to do in the final 10 minutes.
But as replacement hooker Connal McInerney ended up in the right place at the right time after a lineout, a breakaway saw halfback Ryan Lonergan put Samu in for his second try, condemning the Highlanders to their eighth loss of the year.
The win sends the Brumbies ahead of both the Hurricanes and Crusaders onto second on the Super Rugby table, closing in on a home quarter-final as the playoffs approach.
The Highlanders meanwhile will return home to face Melbourne Rebels and the Reds over the next two weeks, before they finish their season with a trip to face the Blues to potentially decide their playoff fate.
Highlanders 32 (Nareki, Lienert-Brown, Umaga-Jensen, Fakatava tries; Burns 3 conversions; Burns 3 penalties)
Brumbies 48 (Ikitau, Brown, Swain, Toole 2, Samu 2 tries; Lolesio 5 conversions; Lolesio penalty)
