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Synonyms

fall through

British  

verb

  1. (intr, adverb) to miscarry or fail

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
fall through Idioms  

  1. Fail, miscarry, as in The proposed amendment fell through, or I hope our plans won't fall through. [Late 1700s]

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Also, be aware that similar offers could fall through again.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 3, 2026

"We can't isolate the supply, we're dealing with water and live electric, and there are holes cut through floors that firefighters can fall through."

From BBC • Mar. 4, 2026

On this latter point, Marfisee is determined not to let patients fall through the cracks.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 3, 2026

No deal has been signed, and the talks could fall through, according to a person familiar with the matter.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 27, 2026

We heard a piece of metal slide down the shingles of the roof, bounce off the gutter, and fall through the snowball bushes.

From "A Long Way from Chicago" by Richard Peck

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.