fall flat
phrase
1
as in collapse
to be unsuccessful
Her performance fell flat despite weeks of rehearsing.
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2
as in fall short
to go wrong
Their game plan fell flat when their star player suffered an injury.
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Recent Examples of Synonyms for fall flat
fall short
Phrase
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Despite government assurances, humanitarian groups warn that the scale of assistance still falls short of the need.
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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.
Cite this Entry
“Fall flat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fall%20flat. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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