short of the mark
idiom
: not reaching the target that was aimed for
the bullet was/fell short of the mark
—often used figuratively
Our fund-raising fell short of the mark.
Examples of short of the mark in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Romello McRae inbounded to Carr, who launched a fadeaway shot that was short of the mark and Toreadors players poured off their bench.
—
Steve Galluzzo, Los Angeles Times, 25 Feb. 2023
Four of the five starters scored double-digit points while junior guard Tyrece Radford was only two points short of the mark.
—Dallas News, 19 Mar. 2022
That is precisely why Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's perfunctory assurance that the winner of the Nov. 3 election would be inaugurated on Jan. 20 falls short of the mark.
—Editorial Board Star Tribune, Star Tribune, 26 Sep. 2020
The Tide’s 1979 team still came up 21.4 rushing yards per game short of the record, and while the 2013 Auburn attack broke the Alabama’s 1973 record for rushing yards in a season, the Tigers’ average that season fell 37.8 yards per game short of the mark.
—Mark Inabinett | Minabinett@al.com, al, 22 Aug. 2022
But this one, harassed and harried, was short of the mark.
—New York Times, 5 Apr. 2022
Five out of six reps were on target and the one that wasn’t fell only slightly short of the mark.
—Matt Fitzgerald, Outside Online, 1 Mar. 2021
Most of the mayhem is executed in great style, though some visual effects fall short of the mark.
—Richard Kuipers, Variety, 23 Mar. 2023
James fell short of the mark against Dallas, scoring 24 points on 9-of-28 shooting.
—Dallas News, 13 Jan. 2023
Steve Galluzzo, Los Angeles Times, 25 Feb. 2023
Four of the five starters scored double-digit points while junior guard Tyrece Radford was only two points short of the mark.
—Dallas News, 19 Mar. 2022
That is precisely why Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's perfunctory assurance that the winner of the Nov. 3 election would be inaugurated on Jan. 20 falls short of the mark.
—Editorial Board Star Tribune, Star Tribune, 26 Sep. 2020
The Tide’s 1979 team still came up 21.4 rushing yards per game short of the record, and while the 2013 Auburn attack broke the Alabama’s 1973 record for rushing yards in a season, the Tigers’ average that season fell 37.8 yards per game short of the mark.
—Mark Inabinett | Minabinett@al.com, al, 22 Aug. 2022
But this one, harassed and harried, was short of the mark.
—New York Times, 5 Apr. 2022
Five out of six reps were on target and the one that wasn’t fell only slightly short of the mark.
—Matt Fitzgerald, Outside Online, 1 Mar. 2021
Most of the mayhem is executed in great style, though some visual effects fall short of the mark.
—Richard Kuipers, Variety, 23 Mar. 2023
James fell short of the mark against Dallas, scoring 24 points on 9-of-28 shooting.
—Dallas News, 13 Jan. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'short of the mark.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near short of the mark
Cite this Entry
“Short of the mark.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/short%20of%20the%20mark. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.
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