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Synonyms

fall down

British  

verb

  1. to drop suddenly or collapse

  2. informal (often foll by on) to prove unsuccessful; 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 down Idioms  

  1. Fail to meet expectations; lag in performance. For example, It was disappointing to see him fall down on the job. This expression transfers a literal drop to a figurative one. [Second 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.

I don’t want to have to explain to St. Peter at the Pearly Gates that I died in a fall down the stairs at Dodger Stadium.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 10, 2026

The city worried parts of it might fall down, Eoanna Goodwin, a project manager with the local Recreation & Park Department, said at a public hearing in November.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 7, 2026

While employers are legally required to maintain benefit records, especially for pension and employer-sponsored life insurance, they too can fall down on the job.

From MarketWatch • Nov. 20, 2025

“The Chair Company” allows us to see how anyone might fall down the chutes into which Robinson’s Joe Average easily slides.

From Salon • Oct. 13, 2025

Her face was now covered in black streaks from her makeup, and the preacher was practically holding her up so she wouldn’t fall down the steps.

From "The Boy in the Black Suit" by Jason Reynolds

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.