came up empty

phrase

past tense of come up empty
as in failed
to be unsuccessful We searched for a viable candidate but came up empty.

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for came up empty
  1. fell short
  2. fell flat
Phrase
  • The company’s forecast for revenue growth in the final three months of the year fell short of analysts’ expectations.
    — Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2026
  • While the comeback fell short, McCarthy impressed and made history in the process.
    — Ryan Canfield OutKick, FOXNews.com, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of fell short
Phrase
  • The deal is Novo’s second since its investor day last week, when its pledges to boost growth with new drugs fell flat.
    — Ed Silverman, STAT, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Instead, the administration has proposed cutting more than 9,400 of my fellow workers and launched a new effort to privatize TSA — Horizon 25 — after the TSA Gold+ privatization campaign fell flat.
    — Hydrick Thomas, New York Daily News, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of fell flat
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.

Browse Nearby Words

came up
came up empty
came up with
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Cite this Entry

“Came up empty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/came%20up%20empty. Accessed 26 Oct. 2026.

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