fell short

phrase

past tense of fall short
1
as in failed
to be unsuccessful The movie fell short of its viewers' expectations.

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2
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 Early attempts to force governments to address climate change fell short. — Jon McGowan, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026 That could be considered a bright spot in a jobs report that fell short of forecasters’ hiring expectations. — Rachel Barber, USA Today, 9 July 2026 Despite an energized crowd, the US fell short against Belgium 4-1, ending a wild run for the host country. — Doug Duran, Mercury News, 7 July 2026 While investors focused on softer margins and guidance that fell short of Wall Street’s expectations, Cramer said investors overlooked several encouraging trends. — Alexa Lomonaco, CNBC, 7 July 2026

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fells
fell short
fell short (of)
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Cite this Entry

“Fell short.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fell%20short. Accessed 9 Jul. 2026.

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