fall short of (something)
fall short
To fail to meet or reach some goal, standard, expectation, etc. The company usually makes very high-quality devices, but their latest model falls quite short, unfortunately. The athlete had an impressive performance on the field, but she fell short of first place by just a few points. It's the third quarter in a row in which our sales have fallen short. If things don't improve soon, I don't know how we'll be able to keep going.
fall short of (something)
To fail to meet or reach something, usually a goal, standard, or requirement. The phone falls quite short of the company's usual quality, feeling a bit cheap as a result. Unfortunately, your application fell short of the requirements for entry, so it has been denied. The company fell short of their quarterly targets for the third time in a row.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2015 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
fall short
to lack something; to lack enough of something, such as money, time, etc. We fell short of money at the end of the month. Tom fell short of cash and had to borrow from me.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
fall short of
Prove inadequate or insufficient. For example, His skills fell short of the required standard. [Late 1500s]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
fall short (of)
1 (of a missile) fail to reach its target. 2 be deficient or inadequate; fail to reach a required goal.Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017
fall ˈshort of something
fail to reach the standard that you expected or need: Your performance at work has fallen short of what is required in this company.Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017
fall short
1. To fail to attain a specified amount, level, or degree: an athlete whose skill fell far short of expectations.
2. To prove inadequate: Food supplies fell short.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
fall short (of), to
To fail to attain a certain standard; to be insufficient. The expression comes from archery, horseshoes, and other activities in which a missile may fall to the ground before reaching the desired goal, or mark (it is sometimes put as falling short of the mark). The essayist William Hazlitt wrote, “Cavanagh’s blows were not undecided and ineffectual—lumbering like Mr. Wordsworth’s epic poetry, nor wavering like Mr. Coleridge’s lyric prose, nor short of the mark like Mr. Brougham’s speeches” (Table Talk, 1821–22).
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer Copyright © 2013 by Christine Ammer