FALLS SHORT Synonyms: 56 Similar and Opposite Words

falls short

phrase

present tense third-person singular of fall short

as in fails

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

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as in falls 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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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 falls short If Anthropic's actual spend falls short, it's required to pay Amazon the difference as a true-up. — Ashley Capoot,jordan Novet,annie Palmer,lora Kolodny,kai Nicol-Schwarz,caleigh Keating, CNBC, 26 Oct. 2026 The company is arranging compensation, while some collectors say their insurance falls short of the cards’ value. — Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026 Murray, the urban planner, said transit and affordable housing are two areas in which Wynwood falls short. — Catherine Odom, Miami Herald, 12 Oct. 2026 For every movie that Skydance falls short of, the studio must pay $30 million to health and pension funds, split among the guilds. — Mia Galuppo, HollywoodReporter, 2 Oct. 2026 When performance falls short, our instinct is often to add more training, information, oversight, processes or competency development. — Dr Natalie Callis, Forbes.com, 25 Sep. 2026 EmpCo, as the directive is also known, falls short of the Green Claims Directive’s full scope. — Jasmin Malik Chua, Footwear News, 25 Sep. 2026 When that falls short, Liliom’s life quickly devolves, leaving audiences to wonder if bad deeds are a question of character or circumstance. — Lauren Warnecke, Chicago Tribune, 18 Sep. 2026 If the tax revenue tied to the stadium project falls short, the city could need to cover the cost from other sources — potentially taking money away from other city priorities. — Chris Higgins, Kansas City Star, 7 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for falls short

falls flat

Phrase

The satire falls flat, but there’s some chuckles to be found in the Simpsons living beyond their economic means.

— Joshua Kurp, Vulture, 26 Oct. 2026
In its uncertain tonality and zany humor that falls flat, that’s the Waititi film that Klara and the Sun most resembles.

— David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of falls flat

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falls out

falls short

falls short (of)

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“Falls short.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/falls%20short. Accessed 30 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of falls short

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