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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.
Examples of pratfall in a Sentence
Nick Caruso, TVLine, 21 May 2025
Matt is out of his league and his next pratfall is always just around the corner.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 27 Mar. 2025
Then, in another sequence, Mahomes took a pratfall, aka flop.
—Bob Raissman, New York Daily News, 25 Jan. 2025
An early pratfall involving a faulty dishwasher proves a red herring; the director Lawrence Lamont and the screenwriter Syreeta Singleton find their best humor on the character level, in clever dialogue and sharp line deliveries from the entire ensemble.
—Natalia Winkelman, New York Times, 16 Jan. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Pratfall.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pratfall. Accessed 5 Jul. 2025.
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pratfall
noun
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