fall short of

1. Prove inadequate or insufficient. For example, His skills fell short of the required standard. [Late 1500s]

Example Sentences

Business groups fought to repeal the city’s $30 minimum wage for tourism workers, but in early September fell short of securing the minimum number of signatures needed to qualify their initiative for the ballot.

From Los Angeles Times

Watchdogs warn that this lack of guardrails has allowed the biomass industry to harm the South’s forests, pollute poor communities living near biomass facilities and fall short of its climate claims.

From Los Angeles Times

Leonard’s performance has fallen short of expectations, so even the league voiding the last two years of his contract would have limited sting, and save the franchise the $100 million owed to the 34-year-old forward.

From Los Angeles Times

Universities across the UK say this amount has not increased by very much for more than a decade and claim that it also falls short of the actual cost of educating students.

From BBC

But China's new target does fall short of what would be needed to meet international climate goals.

From BBC

Related Words

• baffle 
• deceive 
• disconcert 
• disenchant 
• dishearten 
• disillusion 
• dissatisfy 
• dumbfound 
• fail 
• hamper 
• mislead