Synonyms of falls short

falls short

phrase

present tense third-person singular of fall short

1

as in fails

to be unsuccessful

The movie fell short of its viewers' expectations.

Synonyms & Similar Words

• fails
• collapses
• flops
• folds
• falls flat
• struggles
• lays an egg
• misses
• bombs
• strikes out
• comes to grief
• comes up empty
• tanks
• flames out
• comes a cropper
• founders
• falls on one's face
• washes out
• dies on the vine
• flunks
• craters
• declines
• crashes
• goes under
• slips
• skids
• slumps
• crumbles
• flounders
• wanes
• misfires
• miscarries
• sinks
• implodes
• self-destructs

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• goes over
• works out
• goes
• comes off
• succeeds
• delivers
• clicks
• pans out
• cooks
• thrives
• flourishes
• prevails
• prospers
• wins
• triumphs

2

as in falls flat

to go wrong

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• falls flat
• fails
• comes to grief
• misfires
• stalls
• comes a cropper
• miscarries
• dies
• misses
• struggles
• flops
• founders
• folds
• crashes
• breaks down
• tanks
• flames out
• bombs
• skids
• wanes
• flounders
• slips
• flunks
• washes out
• slumps
• fizzles
• busts
• conks (out)
• declines

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• prevails
• succeeds
• thrives
• flourishes
• prospers

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of falls short

If those two perspectives are not constantly brought back together, scope creep, miscommunication and misaligned priorities can quickly follow, resulting in a product that falls short of solving the user's problem. — Laila Burns, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026

Why fiber matters and juice falls short The biggest catch with juice is what’s missing. — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson july 21, Sacbee.com, 21 July 2026

These silhouettes instantly elevate an ensemble in a way that denim simply falls short. — Bianca Kratky, Glamour, 20 July 2026

But Suskind argues that the problem isn't simply that today's AI falls short of human relationships. — Greg Rosalsky, NPR, 14 July 2026

Inclusiveness isn't the only area where the Volunteer State falls short. — Scott Cohn, CNBC, 11 July 2026

The National Rally party emerges as the largest single force in Parliament's powerful National Assembly, but falls short of an outright majority. — ABC News, 6 July 2026

But development partners for the women’s soccer team say the private group — not the city — would be on the hook if expected tax revenue falls short of paying off the bond. — Dylan Lysen june 30, Kansas City Star, 30 June 2026

While there may be demand in other countries for its chips, China’s production capacity for advanced chips still falls short of demand at home. — Chan Ho-Him, Los Angeles Times, 29 June 2026