B2idiomsuccessIELTS-friendly
fall short
USUK
to fail to reach a goal, standard or amount that was expected
Use 'of' before what you didn't reach: 'fall short of expectations'. Different from 'fall flat' (get no reaction).
In context
Sales this quarter fell short of our target by about ten percent.
The film was good, but it fell short of the hype.
Common mistake
Incorrect: The results fell short from our expectations.
Correct: The results fell short of our expectations.
More idioms about success
- a blessing in disguisesomething that seems bad at first but later brings a good result
- a close calla situation in which you only just avoid danger or failure
- a dream come truesomething you have wanted for a long time that has finally happened
- a feather in your capan achievement that you can be proud of and that may help you later
- a flash in the pana sudden success that does not last or happen again