Synonyms of fall flat

fall flat

phrase

1

as in collapse

to be unsuccessful

Her performance fell flat despite weeks of rehearsing.

Synonyms & Similar Words

• collapse
• fail
• flop
• strike out
• fold
• struggle
• fall short
• miss
• come up empty
• bomb
• come to grief
• lay an egg
• come a cropper
• tank
• wash out
• founder
• flame out
• fall on one's face
• crater
• flunk
• die on the vine
• decline
• crash
• slip
• slump
• go under
• skid
• flounder
• crumble
• wane
• sink
• misfire
• miscarry
• implode
• self-destruct

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• go
• succeed
• go over
• work out
• deliver
• click
• come off
• pan out
• cook
• thrive
• flourish
• triumph
• win
• prevail
• prosper

2

as in fall short

to go wrong

Their game plan fell flat when their star player suffered an injury.

Synonyms & Similar Words

• fall short
• come to grief
• fail
• stall
• come a cropper
• die
• misfire
• miscarry
• miss
• struggle
• flop
• founder
• crash
• fold
• tank
• break down
• wash out
• bomb
• slump
• skid
• flounder
• slip
• flame out
• conk (out)
• fizzle
• decline
• wane
• bust
• flunk

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• succeed
• prevail
• thrive
• flourish
• prosper

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of fall flat

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

The comment section, that unmediated middle ground between creator and consumer, is where comparisons between The Tale of Genji and cell phone novels start to fall flat. — Literary Hub, 13 July 2026

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

Those efforts fell flat before Judge Kaplan, New York’s 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals, and most recently, the Supreme Court. — Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 8 July 2026