Definition of pratfall
1
: a fall on the buttocks
2
: a humiliating mishap or blunder
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Examples of pratfall in a Sentence
He slipped and took a pratfall into the mud.
Recent Examples of pratfall from the Web
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But after a 1-8 football flop during the bowl season and the recent 0-3 pratfall by the Pac-12 into March mediocrity, the conference's men's sports profile needs to lead with something other than its glass jaw.
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If this sounds a bit heady for a rollicking tragicomedy in which pratfalls and death throes are tumbled together, that is part of the play’s unusual scheme.
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Some would say this season has been Aldridge’s best effort to atone for last year’s playoff pratfall.
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This is in the era of 'That Darn Cat,' (when) family movies were silly or filled with jokes and pratfalls.
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Essentially, Broadcast News is about three separate characters and their combined pratfalls and missteps.
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The lack of policies or purpose in Downing Street, coupled with Mrs May’s frequent political pratfalls, have driven the Conservative Party to the brink of seeking a new leader.
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Both Max and Herman stumble through various pratfalls in their attempt to woo the same woman, Rosemary Cross (Olivia Williams), a teacher at the prestigious Rushmore Academy.
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Players suffered frostbite as well as endured pratfalls slipping on the frozen field.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'pratfall.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Did You Know?
The human posterior has been given a number of designations over the centuries, some not acceptable in polite company. "Prat," a slang term with only slightly indecorous overtones, has been used in reference to the backside since the 16th century. It wasn't until the 1930s, however, that falling on one's prat gave rise to the term "pratfall." The word first cropped up in the lingo of comedy theater, where a pratfall is often part of a slapstick routine. It wasn't long before we gave the word its extended sense of "blunder." Now, with "prat" rarely used as a synonym of "derriere" anymore, "pratfall" is as apt to suggest getting a pie in the face as landing bang on one's behind.
Origin and Etymology of pratfall
PRATFALL Defined for English Language Learners
Definition of pratfall for English Language Learners
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: a sudden fall in which you end up sitting on the ground
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: an embarrassing mistake or accident
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