fall short
phrase
1
: to be deficient
The expedition's supplies began to fall short.
2
: to fail to attain something (such as a goal or target)
The results fell short of expectations.
Examples of fall short in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Masters of the Universe, The Mandalorian and Grogu, and Disclosure Day all fell short of expectations, although the latter at least recouped its production budget.
—
Jennifer Ouellette,
ArsTechnica,
4 July 2026
Despite government assurances, humanitarian groups warn that the scale of assistance still falls short of the need.
—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
3 July 2026
Efforts to ban members of Congress from owning or trading individual stock have percolated for years, but have repeatedly fallen short.
—
Luke Fountain,justin Papp,
CNBC,
3 July 2026
But this safeguard falls short — especially given new civil and criminal penalties for election officials that are tucked into this bill.
—
Dick Durbin,
Mercury News,
3 July 2026
Hiring slowed markedly in June, falling short of economists' expectations and displaying a wobbly labor market amid elevated inflation set off by the Iran war.
—
Max Zahn,
ABC News,
2 July 2026
Together, these efforts reflect concerted efforts to protect large corporations from consumers’ claims that products have harmed them and to prevent states from holding companies accountable when federal regulation falls short.
—
Sarah J. Morath,
The Conversation,
2 July 2026
But Musk fell short of the yearly 5% minimum the IRS legally requires his foundation to give away, after falling roughly $423 million short in 2023.
—
Ty Roush,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2026
How Bodyweight Exercises Can Help With Everyday Strength Even though weightlifting can increase muscle size and strength more efficiently, that doesn’t mean bodyweight exercises fall short.
—
Jakob Roze,
Health,
1 July 2026
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Jennifer Ouellette,
ArsTechnica,
4 July 2026
Despite government assurances, humanitarian groups warn that the scale of assistance still falls short of the need.
—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
3 July 2026
Efforts to ban members of Congress from owning or trading individual stock have percolated for years, but have repeatedly fallen short.
—
Luke Fountain,justin Papp,
CNBC,
3 July 2026
But this safeguard falls short — especially given new civil and criminal penalties for election officials that are tucked into this bill.
—
Dick Durbin,
Mercury News,
3 July 2026
Hiring slowed markedly in June, falling short of economists' expectations and displaying a wobbly labor market amid elevated inflation set off by the Iran war.
—
Max Zahn,
ABC News,
2 July 2026
Together, these efforts reflect concerted efforts to protect large corporations from consumers’ claims that products have harmed them and to prevent states from holding companies accountable when federal regulation falls short.
—
Sarah J. Morath,
The Conversation,
2 July 2026
But Musk fell short of the yearly 5% minimum the IRS legally requires his foundation to give away, after falling roughly $423 million short in 2023.
—
Ty Roush,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2026
How Bodyweight Exercises Can Help With Everyday Strength Even though weightlifting can increase muscle size and strength more efficiently, that doesn’t mean bodyweight exercises fall short.
—
Jakob Roze,
Health,
1 July 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fall short.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fall%20short. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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