fall down

British  

verb

1. to drop suddenly or collapse

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

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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]

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

fall down

It has stood since before he was born, Kim says, and "thinking it might fall down makes me sad".

From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026

Villarreal: But you also need things in them so they don’t fall down easily.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 28, 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

But another policymaker said earlier this month there was a growing risk that the U.K. might be heading for a recession should inflation fall down to target.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2025

I wind up walking into the banister, and then almost fall down the stairs because I’m craning my neck to see PopPop’s closed bedroom door.

From "Fast Pitch" by Nic Stone

Related Words

• bumble
• careen
• fall
• falter
• flounder
• hesitate
• limp
• lumber
• lurch
• shuffle
• swing
• waver
• wobble