fall short

phrase

Synonyms of fall shortnext
1
: to be deficient
The expedition's supplies began to fall short.
2
: to fail to attain something (such as a goal or target)
The results fell short of expectations.

Examples of fall short in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Ultimately Keegan’s team fell short, but this was no failure. — Michael Walker, New York Times, 22 Aug. 2026 Low-speed vehicles are a step above a golf cart but fall short of the capabilities of conventional passenger cars. — Beth Livesay, AJC.com, 21 Aug. 2026 Despite doubling mining revenues last year, President Bola Tinubu’s administration still falls short of meeting a 3% target for minerals’ GDP contribution that was set six years ago. — Alexander Onukwue, semafor.com, 21 Aug. 2026 Saitex released its 2025 Impact Report, highlighting gains while also noting where the company fell short on some of its sustainability goals. — Jennifer Bringle, Footwear News, 21 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for fall short

Rhymes for fall short

See All Rhymes for fall short

Browse Nearby Words

fall/run afoul of
fall short
fall short of expectations
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Fall short.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fall%20short. Accessed 23 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on fall short

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for fall short

Nglish: Translation of fall short for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of prowess

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

How to Pronounce the Trickiest Menu Items

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Aug. 21

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
alt-684346df967d5
Add A Letter Quiz Pick the letter that goes in the same spot in fou...
See All