FALLING SHORT Synonyms: 56 Similar and Opposite Words

falling short

phrase

present participle of fall short

as in failing

to be unsuccessful The movie fell short of its viewers' expectations.

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in falling flat

to go wrong The biography falls short by neglecting to explore the subject's faults as well as his virtues.

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of falling short 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, 4 Nov. 2026 This is a major win for Georgia Democrats, who have targeted this seat for years, falling short in 2018 and 2022 with Democrat Stacey Abrams. — Leah Sarnoff, ABC News, 4 Nov. 2026 The final found of pre-election polls in Israel last week showed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu falling short of a clear victory in the October 27 election. — Oren Liebermann, CNN Money, 27 Oct. 2026 Based on this, today’s report concludes that global climate pledges are falling short. — Simmone Shah, Time, 21 Oct. 2026 Wells Fargo Wells Fargo reported a mixed quarter Tuesday, beating earnings estimates but falling short on revenue. — Alexa Lomonaco, CNBC, 14 Oct. 2026 The trial ended in a 57–43 vote to convict, falling short of the two-thirds threshold required. — Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 7 Oct. 2026 Where are performance, culture, leadership or team dynamics falling short? — Dr. Jay R. Harrison, Forbes.com, 23 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for falling short

falling flat

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