COMING UP EMPTY Synonyms: 50 Similar and Opposite Words

coming up empty

phrase

present participle of come up empty

as in failing

to be unsuccessful We searched for a viable candidate but came up empty.

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Recent Examples of Synonyms for coming up empty

Phrase

At the same time, Bain & Company’s 2026 Automation and AI Pathfinder Survey found that AI budgets are growing even as many returns are falling short.

— Brian Solis, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026
Last Year As mentioned, the Los Angeles Rams made it to the NFC Championship before falling short against the Seahawks.

— David Troy OutKick, FOXNews.com, 26 July 2026

Definition of falling short

Phrase

The trick to making the formula feel dynamic is mixing materials, as a blend of textures helps prevent your ensemble from falling flat.

— Kelsey Stewart, Glamour, 10 July 2026
But with Trump returning to office and previous Democratic attempts to rein in his power through impeachment falling flat, the kind of Trump accountability messages pushed by the incumbents didn’t stick among constituents.

— Nicholas Wu, semafor.com, 2 July 2026

Definition of falling flat

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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coming up

coming up empty

coming up with

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“Coming up empty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/coming%20up%20empty. Accessed 31 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of coming up empty

phrase

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