coming to grief

phrase

present participle of come to grief
1
as in collapsing
to be unsuccessful His plans came to grief after a series of unforeseen setbacks.

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in falling short
to go wrong The expedition came to grief in the vast frozen expanse.

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for coming to grief
  1. falling short
  2. falling flat
Phrase
  • Anthropic confirmed on Tuesday that its IPO could be one of the biggest ever, even while falling short of previous expectations.
    — Stevie Bonifield, The Verge, 10 Nov. 2026
  • But in Florida, where Republicans hoped to pick up as many as four new seats, the plan looked to be falling short.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of falling short
Phrase
  • For the most part, Chéri and Baum simply go full steam ahead, which means that their intermittent attempts to have things both ways usually end up falling flat.
    — Sara Holdren, Vulture, 10 Nov. 2026
  • Ohioans are getting bombarded with Republican ads on tax cuts, but the message is falling flat with many voters who feel the weight of higher prices.
    — Jarrell Dillard, Washington Post, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of falling 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

coming to
coming to grief
coming to grips with
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Coming to grief.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/coming%20to%20grief. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

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