COME UP EMPTY Synonyms: 50 Similar and Opposite Words

come up empty

phrase

Definition of come up empty

as in collapse

to be unsuccessful We searched for a viable candidate but came up empty.

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for come up empty

Phrase

Local media footage showed people trapped on the roof of the five-floor building, enveloped in thick black smoke, while the spray from fire truck hoses fell short of flames showing through windows on its upper floors.

— ABC News, ABC News, 10 July 2026
Hallums was required to introduce evidence which supported each and every element of all his causes of action, but his evidence fell short of that standard.

— Jay Adkisson, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026

Definition of fall short

Phrase

After recording a convincing win in its first matchup with Denver, the Current fell flat in the second half of what had been a tight contest at Orlando.

— Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 15 July 2026
On the downside, the Scarecrow (Cillian Murphy) isn’t fleshed out enough and the chemistry between Bale and Katie Holmes, as an assistant DA and the childhood friend of Bruce’s, falls flat.

— Randy Myers, Mercury News, 14 July 2026

Definition of fall flat

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come up

come up empty

comeuppance

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“Come up empty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/come%20up%20empty. Accessed 16 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of come up empty

phrase

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