fall flat

Idioms and Phrases

Fail, prove to be ineffective, as in His jokes nearly always fell flat—no one ever laughed at them . [First half of 1800s]

Example Sentences

Some of Trump’s biggest attempts at an education overhaul during his first term fell flat.

From Los Angeles Times

His jokes repeatedly fell flat for the rally goers, who voiced their frustration with his material.

From Los Angeles Times

Weigel argues that the Republicans are ignoring all the data showing this issue falls flat, mostly on a gut sense that it will resonate this time.

From Salon

“We didn't want to offend anyone but the world has changed and the joke fell flat. We're not doing any national themes this year.”

From Salon

They’ve also been reviewing hours of video of all those Trump debates, seeing which plays work well against him and which fall flat.

From BBC

Related Words

• bump
• collapse
• collide
• ditch
• dive
• drop
• hurtle
• meet
• overturn
• plunge
• slip
• smash
• topple
• tumble