falling flat

phrase

present participle of fall flat
1
as in collapsing
to be unsuccessful Her performance fell flat despite weeks of rehearsing.

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in falling short
to go wrong Their game plan fell flat when their star player suffered an injury.

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 flat But the execution was dead on arrival, with the whole thing falling flat on its face. — Austin Perry Outkick, FOXNews.com, 1 Aug. 2026 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 That being said, there’s an art to styling these jeans in order to keep your look from falling flat. — Daisy Maldonado, InStyle, 2 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for falling flat
falling short
Phrase
  • Orlando finishes Phase One with five points, falling short of advancing in one of the top four spots.
    — Kyle Foley, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 Aug. 2026
  • But his attempts to get in touch with the company keep falling short.
    — Barry Levitt, Los Angeles Times, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of falling short

Browse Nearby Words

falling down
falling flat
falling for
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Falling flat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/falling%20flat. Accessed 15 Aug. 2026.

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