FELL SHORT Synonyms: 59 Similar and Opposite Words

fell short

phrase

past tense of fall short

as in failed

to be unsuccessful The movie fell short of its viewers' expectations.

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in fell flat

to go wrong The biography falls short by neglecting to explore the subject's faults as well as his virtues.

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Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of fell short Zoom Communications — Shares fell 7% after its third-quarter forecast fell short of analyst expectations. — Davis Giangiulio, CNBC, 26 Aug. 2026 The ball also fell short of the record for the most expensive sports ball. — George Nelson, ARTnews.com, 24 Aug. 2026 His play fell short of those expectations last season, although the Gamecocks’ play calling, offensive line and receivers did their quarterback few favors. — Dane Brugler, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2026 District 4 candidate Christina Romelus had 40% of the vote with all precincts counted but fell short of the 50% threshold. — Abigail Hasebroock, Sun Sentinel, 19 Aug. 2026 Texas ultimately fell short of the 12-team CFP while the Buckeyes lost their last two games, the latter in the CFP quarterfinals. — ABC News, 11 Aug. 2026 After losing his seat to redistricting, Jones fell short in his bid for a third term in Congress against Republican Newt Gingrich. — Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026 Writing in the aftermath of the French Revolution, Schiller argued that the revolution fell short of true liberation because its emphasis on reason led to the dismissal of feeling. — The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 5 Aug. 2026 At the June meeting, City Manager Jennifer Maguire acknowledged the city fell short in engaging the community affected by the increases. — Ryan MacAsero, Mercury News, 5 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for fell short

fell flat

Phrase

The habeas corpus action represented a last-ditch legal effort by Maxwell to secure her release after her appeals fell flat.

— Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 25 Aug. 2026
Just last year, Nate Bargatze entered Emmys night as a peak-of-fame comedian, and ended the evening as the object of mass audience disgruntlement after a running joke about winners’ lengthy speeches taking money away from children in need fell flat.

— Daniel D'Addario, Variety, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of fell flat

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fells

fell short

fell short (of)

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“Fell short.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fell%20short. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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