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

Agreement could come as soon as Monday, assuming talks don’t fall apart.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 18, 2026

The deal, rumored to be mostly stock, could also still fall apart, the newspaper reported.

From Barron's • May 16, 2026

Maybe as the city seems to fall apart, she’ll find a leafy park or the back of a dingy bar that’s the right home for these strange, lonely yet hopeful songs.

From Los Angeles Times • May 8, 2026

BuzzFeed went public in 2021 through a merger with a special-purpose acquisition company, and things started to fall apart.

From MarketWatch • May 8, 2026

He must have known in his gut that the Argo II would eventually fall apart.

From "Blood of Olympus" by Rick Riordan

Related Words

• break down
• collapse
• crumble