comes up empty

phrase

present tense third-person singular of come up empty
as in fails
to be unsuccessful We searched for a viable candidate but came up empty.

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for comes up empty
falls short
Phrase
  • If those two perspectives are not constantly brought back together, scope creep, miscommunication and misaligned priorities can quickly follow, resulting in a product that falls short of solving the user's problem.
    — Laila Burns, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026
  • Why fiber matters and juice falls short The biggest catch with juice is what’s missing.
    — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson July 21, Sacbee.com, 21 July 2026
Definition of falls short
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

comes up
comes up empty
comes up with
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Cite this Entry

“Comes up empty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/comes%20up%20empty. Accessed 26 Jul. 2026.

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