fall apart

British  

verb

1. to break owing to long use or poor construction

   the chassis is falling apart

2. to become disorganized and ineffective

   since you resigned, the office has fallen apart

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fall apart Idioms  

1. Collapse, break down, either physically or mentally and emotionally. For example, This chair is about to fall apart, or After his wife died, he fell apart. For synonyms for the latter usage, see come apart at the seams; go to pieces.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

fall apart

A deal could be completed in the coming weeks, assuming talks don’t fall apart.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026

There are no guarantees a deal will come together, as talks could still fall apart or another suitor could emerge.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026

They want to protect Schoenbrun’s film from the very analysis it’s encouraging, the deep, granular kind that causes all that subtext to fall apart.

From Salon ● Aug. 26, 2026

Discussion of a plea deal does not guarantee one will be reached, and such arrangements can fall apart.

From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026

She was not going to let herself fall apart.

From "The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm" by Nancy Farmer

Related Words

• break down
• collapse
• crumble