Synonyms of fell flat

fell flat

phrase

past tense of fall flat

1

as in collapsed

to be unsuccessful

Her performance fell flat despite weeks of rehearsing.

Synonyms & Similar Words

• collapsed
• failed
• flopped
• folded
• fell short
• struck out
• struggled
• missed
• came up empty
• came to grief
• laid an egg
• came a cropper
• bombed
• washed out
• flamed out
• died on the vine
• flunked
• foundered
• fell on one's face
• tanked
• cratered
• declined
• crashed
• slipped
• went under
• slumped
• floundered
• skidded
• crumbled
• waned
• sank
• miscarried
• misfired
• imploded
• self-destructed

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• worked out
• went over
• went
• succeeded
• delivered
• came off
• clicked
• cooked
• panned out
• flourished
• thrived
• prospered
• won
• prevailed
• triumphed

2

as in fell short

to go wrong

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• fell short
• came to grief
• failed
• came a cropper
• miscarried
• stalled
• died
• missed
• misfired
• flopped
• struggled
• folded
• crashed
• washed out
• foundered
• fizzled
• broke down
• conked (out)
• flunked
• skidded
• floundered
• flamed out
• slumped
• slipped
• waned
• bombed
• busted
• declined
• tanked

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• succeeded
• prevailed
• flourished
• prospered
• thrived

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of fell flat

Just last year, Nate Bargatze entered Emmys night as a peak-of-fame comedian, and ended the evening as the object of mass audience disgruntlement after a running joke about winners’ lengthy speeches taking money away from children in need fell flat. — Daniel D'addario, Variety, 19 Aug. 2026

But when the game still mattered, when the starters were out there, the Panthers fell flat. — Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 15 Aug. 2026

Sauro, who posted a video of the debate exchange on Facebook late last week, said Leary’s Monday apology letter fell flat. — Lance Reynolds, Boston Herald, 28 July 2026

Even the president’s jokes about his bad jokes fell flat, and he was widely ridiculed for the comedy routine afterward. — Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 25 July 2026

But many of the shows, other than The Morning Show, fell flat with audiences. — Rebecca Ford, Vanity Fair, 23 July 2026

After recording a convincing win in its first matchup with Denver, the Current fell flat in the second half of what had been a tight contest at Orlando. — Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 15 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