COMING TO GRIEF Synonyms: 56 Similar and Opposite Words

coming to grief

phrase

present participle of come to grief

as in collapsing

to be unsuccessful His plans came to grief after a series of unforeseen setbacks.

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in falling short

to go wrong The expedition came to grief in the vast frozen expanse.

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for coming to grief

Phrase

The final found of pre-election polls in Israel last week showed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu falling short of a clear victory in the October 27 election.

— Oren Liebermann, CNN Money, 27 Oct. 2026
Based on this, today’s report concludes that global climate pledges are falling short.

— Simmone Shah, Time, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of falling short

Phrase

Ohioans are getting bombarded with Republican ads on tax cuts, but the message is falling flat with many voters who feel the weight of higher prices.

— Jarrell Dillard, Washington Post, 20 Oct. 2026
This season has been pockmarked by teams winning big games and falling flat the next; Indiana has to go to Michigan next week to try and buck that trend.

— Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of falling flat

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coming to

coming to grief

coming to grips with

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Style

“Coming to grief.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/coming%20to%20grief. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of coming to grief

phrase

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