fall through

verb

Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see fall, through.

“Their plans to go hiking Saturday fell through because it rained.”

Similar
fall flatfounderflop
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Meanings

verbfall through (third-person singular simple present falls through, present participle falling through, simple past fell through, past participle fallen through)

present singular third person falls through · participle present falling through · past fell through · participle past fallen through

  1. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see fall, through.
  2. idiomaticintransitiveTo be unsuccessful, come to nothing; to be cancelled; not to proceed.

    Their plans to go hiking Saturday fell through because it rained.

    1 more example

    Lynton & Barnstaple Railway revivalists have unexpectedly been given a second chance to purchase the station, after the original sale deal fell through.

    2020 July 1, Howard Johnston, “Regional News: Western: Bratton Fleming”, in Rail, page 24

Synonyms & antonyms

verbfail utterly; collapse

Similar
fall flatfounderflop
Broader
failgo wrongmiscarry
Also see
fall flatflopfounder

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Translations

Bulgarian пропадам
  • пропадам (propadam)to be unsuccessful, come to nothing; to be cancelled; not to proceed
Finnish ajautua karille
  • ajautua karilleto be unsuccessful, come to nothing; to be cancelled; not to proceed
French tomber à l’eau
  • tomber à l’eauto be unsuccessful, come to nothing; to be cancelled; not to proceed
German fehlschlagen, scheitern
  • fehlschlagento be unsuccessful, come to nothing; to be cancelled; not to proceed
  • scheiternto be unsuccessful, come to nothing; to be cancelled; not to proceed
  • ins Wasser fallento be unsuccessful, come to nothing; to be cancelled; not to proceed
Hungarian füstbe megy, kútba esik
  • füstbe megyto be unsuccessful, come to nothing; to be cancelled; not to proceed
  • kútba esikto be unsuccessful, come to nothing; to be cancelled; not to proceed
  • meghiúsulto be unsuccessful, come to nothing; to be cancelled; not to proceed
  • dugába dőlto be unsuccessful, come to nothing; to be cancelled; not to proceed
  • kudarcba fulladto be unsuccessful, come to nothing; to be cancelled; not to proceed
Italian andare a monte
  • andare a monteto be unsuccessful, come to nothing; to be cancelled; not to proceed
Polish przepadać, przepaść
  • przepadaćto be unsuccessful, come to nothing; to be cancelled; not to proceed
  • przepaśćto be unsuccessful, come to nothing; to be cancelled; not to proceed
Turkish suya düşmek
  • suya düşmekto be unsuccessful, come to nothing; to be cancelled; not to proceed
Cite this entry
APA

fall through. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fall%20through

MLA

“fall through.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fall%20through. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “fall through,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fall%20through.

Source: fall through on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.