fall short of expectations
idiom
: to not be as good as people thought would be the case
Earnings fell short of expectations.
Examples of fall short of expectations in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Astronomers lament that the Quadrantid meteors tend to fall short of expectations due to the comparatively short length of their maximum activity and the obscuring wintry conditions of early January.
—
Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 2 Jan. 2026
Letting go isn’t easy, especially for high-achieving women conditioned to push harder, hold it all together, and never fall short of expectations.
—Renessa Boley Layne, Forbes.com, 26 Aug. 2025
As the Yankees fall short of expectations, Boone is often criticized for being too rosy and too defensive of his players in public comments.
—Peter Chawaga, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Aug. 2025
Last year, the Department of Finance acknowledged that revenues over four years would fall short of expectations by $165 billion.
—Dan Walters, Mercury News, 18 July 2025
Despite a season that saw the team fall short of expectations, Hoffman was a bright spot that could carry into the future.
—Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 Mar. 2025
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Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 2 Jan. 2026
Letting go isn’t easy, especially for high-achieving women conditioned to push harder, hold it all together, and never fall short of expectations.
—Renessa Boley Layne, Forbes.com, 26 Aug. 2025
As the Yankees fall short of expectations, Boone is often criticized for being too rosy and too defensive of his players in public comments.
—Peter Chawaga, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Aug. 2025
Last year, the Department of Finance acknowledged that revenues over four years would fall short of expectations by $165 billion.
—Dan Walters, Mercury News, 18 July 2025
Despite a season that saw the team fall short of expectations, Hoffman was a bright spot that could carry into the future.
—Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fall short of expectations.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fall%20short%20of%20expectations. Accessed 10 Jan. 2026.
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