coming up empty

phrase

present participle of come up empty
as in failing
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 coming up empty
  1. falling short
  2. falling flat
Phrase
  • The rest of the game was a roller coaster ride with France eventually falling short but not by much.
    — Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026
  • Net income was down from a year ago, falling short of forecasts, after the company spent big on AI and other research projects.
    — Chris Isidore, CNN Money, 22 July 2026
Definition of falling short
Phrase
  • The trick to making the formula feel dynamic is mixing materials, as a blend of textures helps prevent your ensemble from falling flat.
    — Kelsey Stewart, Glamour, 10 July 2026
  • But with Trump returning to office and previous Democratic attempts to rein in his power through impeachment falling flat, the kind of Trump accountability messages pushed by the incumbents didn’t stick among constituents.
    — Nicholas Wu, semafor.com, 2 July 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 up
coming up empty
coming up with
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Coming up empty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/coming%20up%20empty. Accessed 25 Jul. 2026.

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