fall through

Meaning

This phrasal verb is used when plans, arrangements, agreements, or deals fail to happen or are canceled, usually at the last minute. It implies that something was expected to succeed but ultimately did not work out due to unforeseen circumstances. It is commonly used in both personal life and business contexts.

Examples

• Our weekend camping plans fell through because of the sudden heavy rain.

  Our weekend camping plans fell through because of the sudden heavy rain.

• We were going to buy that house, but the deal fell through at the last minute.

  We were going to buy that house, but the deal fell through at the last minute.

• I hope our dinner plans don't fall through tonight; I'm really looking forward to it.

  I hope our dinner plans don't fall through tonight; I'm really looking forward to it.

• The merger fell through after the two companies couldn't agree on the terms.

  The merger fell through after the two companies couldn't agree on the terms.

• My holiday fell through because I couldn't get the time off work.

  My holiday fell through because I couldn't get the time off work.

Common Mistakes

• ✗ Our plans fell through down because of the storm.

  ✓ Our plans fell through because of the storm.

  Do not add extra prepositions like 'down' to 'fall through'; the phrasal verb is complete on its own.

• ✗ The boss fell through the meeting.

  ✓ The meeting fell through.

  'Fall through' is an intransitive phrasal verb. The plan or event itself is the subject, not the person who canceled it.

Related Expressions

Practice

• We wanted to go to Japan this summer, but our plans ___ because we couldn't get visas in time.

  💡 Past tense of the phrasal verb meaning plans failed.

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  fell through

• I don't want this deal to ___; we've put too much work into it.

  💡 Base form meaning to fail or be canceled.

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  fall through