Phrasal verb · C1 · Neutral · Success and failure
fall through
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Meaning
To fail to happen or to be completed.
Examples
- The deal fell through at the last minute.
- Our holiday plans fell through when the flights were cancelled.
- If the funding falls through, the project will stop.
How to use it
The subject is the plan or the deal, never a person. This verb has no object, so you do not fall through a plan.
Common mistake
Not: They fell through the deal.
Say: The deal fell through. (The plan is the subject. This verb has no object.)
Last updated 20 October 2026