fall short

Related to fall short: fall short of goal

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.
See also: fall, of, short
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

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.
See also: fall, short
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

fall short (of)

1 (of a missile) fail to reach its target. 2 be deficient or inadequate; fail to reach a required goal.
See also: fall, short
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

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.
See also: fall, short
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition.

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).
See also: fall, short
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer
See also:
  • fall short of
  • fall short of (something)
  • fall short of something
  • pass muster
  • pass muster, to
  • come up to standards
  • stop at
  • stop at (something)
  • fall flat
  • take a gamble
References in periodicals archive
The Policy Board rejected both proposals and decided to maintain the target and allow it to fall short of the range when liquidity demand is extremely weak.
2 BOJ board members sought lower current account targets in June
30, the annual revenues are likely to fall short of the estimated amount, they said, blaming the prolonged economic slump, which reduced revenues from residential taxes and other local taxes.
Local tax revenues to remain below planned levels for 5th yr
Even with "normal" yields, production from 60 million planted acres will fall short of demand.
TOP MARKETING ISSUES AFFECTING THE WHEAT INDUSTRY
Traditional cost management systems often fall short by institutionalizing practices that don't optimize performance, he argues.
Explicit Cost Dynamics: An Alternative to Activity-Based Costing
He said more than 70% of major companies in Japan fall short of the legal employment ratio.
JAL agrees to hire set number of disabled people
Although several stories fall short of Taylor's ambitious goal of "redefining black sexuality," with images of the willingly subjugated, or consciously unconscious, "man-at-any-cost" woman or, equally troublesome, the sister finding sexual empowerment in the arms of a white man (in a book of black erotica), they are countered by other tales that do fulfill Taylor's vision.
Brown Sugar
The revised manual also puts states in the hot seat by establishing sanctions to punish state survey agencies that fall short of HCFA's enforcement expectations.
Fine prospects
Corporate sponsorship revenue for JASA, which governs Japan's amateur sports, is forecast to fall short of the original target by 62 million yen, while a 19 million yen shortage is also seen in public donations.
Recession-hit JASA sees 200 mil. yen revenue shortfall
In a happy society people need a sense of shared values, the ability to discern between good and evil, and a sense of shame about where they fall short, as well as enough material wealth.
Paradise missing
But while newsletters are very effective in maintaining regular contact with existing clients, they tend to fall short when it comes to attracting new clients or building referrals.
An attention-getting marketing strategy
But Interstate Brands' "Lite" and Schmidt's "Less" fall short of this figure.
Fiber by the slice
THE parent company of Coventry's London Taxi International, Manganese Bronze, said it made no profit in 2011 and could fall short of expectations for the year.
Black cab company fails to make profit
AIDS Free World, a Canadian advocacy group headed by former Canadian UN ambassador Stephen Lewis, said the G8 Muskoka Accountability Report released this week admitted that the bloc will fall short by at least 7 billion dollars of the total of 25 billion dollars this year, or about 30 per cent.
Anti-AIDS groups say G8 falls short on promises to Africa
The biggest phytonutrient gap was found in the blue/purple fruit and vegetable category, where 88% of Americans fall short. Americans are doing a little better on getting phytonutrients found in green fruits and vegetables--69% fall short.
Americans need more 'color' in their diet