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Synonyms

fall flat

Idioms  

  1. Fail, prove to be ineffective, as in His jokes nearly always fell flat—no one ever laughed at them. [First half of 1800s]

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.

The company’s annual iPhone unveilings draw a lot of interest but generally fall flat with investors.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 17, 2026

The tool has shown promise in preventing excessive flattery, which can fall flat with Gen Z women, Roth said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 22, 2025

"They would have a brilliant European performance and then fall flat," he told BBC Scotland's Sportscene.

From BBC • Aug. 9, 2025

Some gifts can leave a great first impression, but then fall flat later on.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 20, 2024

It’s not easy to push yourself out hard enough to get you going, but not so hard that you fall flat on your face.

From "A Good Kind of Trouble" by Lisa Moore Ramée

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.