fall flat

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

But the band’s early attempts to make the grade had fallen flat on its face.

From Los Angeles Times

Some jokes hit their marks; others fall flat.

From Los Angeles Times

"If it doesn't meet the tests set by them then it's going to fall flat," she said.

From BBC

Mitchell has contemplated the possibility of the Red Roses' homecoming, against the odds, falling flat.

From BBC

We can celebrate the notion of Los Angeles as paradise, but it is a paradise whose vision sort of falls flat when you consider the reality of thousands and thousands of unhoused people.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• bump 
• collapse 
• collide 
• ditch 
• dive 
• drop 
• hurtle 
• meet 
• overturn 
• plunge 
• slip 
• smash 
• topple 
• tumble