fall short

phrase

Synonyms of fall shortnext
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

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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 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 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 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 See All Example Sentences for fall short

Rhymes for fall short

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Browse Nearby Words

fall/run afoul of
fall short
fall short of expectations
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Cite this Entry

“Fall short.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fall%20short. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on fall short

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for fall short

Nglish: Translation of fall short for Spanish Speakers

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