FALLING ON ONE'S FACE Synonyms: 50 Similar and Opposite Words

falling on one's face

phrase

present participle of fall on one's face

as in collapsing

to be unsuccessful Remembering how she fell on her face giving the speech the first time spurred her to practice it till she had it down.

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Recent Examples of Synonyms for falling on one's face

Phrase

The reasons retirement savers cite for falling short include rising costs, credit card debt and competing expenses, the results found.

— Lorie Konish, CNBC, 15 July 2026
Bichette, meanwhile, has struggled as well and his return to Toronto called attention to the fact that both the Mets and the Blue Jays are falling short in the standings as their star players flounder without each other.

— Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 1 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

falling off

falling on one's face

falling-out

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“Falling on one's face.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/falling%20on%20one%27s%20face. Accessed 16 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of falling on one's face

phrase

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