Fall apart meaning
Fall apart means to break into pieces because it is old or badly made. It can also mean to stop working well, used for plans, systems or relationships.
fall apart
fall apart · fell · fallen · falling
My old trainers are falling apart.
Fall apart meanings and examples
3 meanings, each with its own CEFR level. A level marked ~ is our estimate: Oxford and Cambridge give none for that meaning.
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1
Break into pieces because it is old or badly made
fall apart
- My old trainers are falling apart.
- The cheap chair fell apart after a week.
- This book has been read so often it’s falling apart.
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2
Stop working well, used for plans, systems or relationships
fall apart
- The deal fell apart at the last minute.
- Their marriage fell apart when they moved abroad.
- Without a good manager, the team fell apart.
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3
Be so upset that you cannot cope with normal life
fall apart
- After her mum died, she fell apart for a while.
- I can’t fall apart now. The kids need me.
- He didn’t fall apart, but he stopped going out.
Café orders
New friends
At the airport
Slova
Use fall apart in real conversations
- Learn new words with picture cards
- Talk with Felix, an AI tutor, about the things you love
- Short lessons at your level, a few minutes a day
Is fall apart separable?
Fall apart has no object. The thing that breaks is the subject: The bag fell apart. You cannot fall apart something.
The continuous form is very common for slow damage: The house is falling apart. It means it is in very bad condition, not that it is breaking right now.
Verb tenses for fall apart
| Present | I fall apart · she falls apart |
|---|---|
| Past | fell apart |
| Present perfect | have fallen apart |
| -ing form | falling apart |
Common mistakes with fall apart
What learners often say, and what to say instead.
Wrong: The kids fell apart the toy.
Right: The kids broke the toy.
Fall apart has no object; use break or take apart.
Wrong: My shoes are falling down.
Right: My shoes are falling apart.
Things that break into pieces fall apart; fall down means drop to the ground.
Wrong: The plan felt apart in May.
Right: The plan fell apart in May.
The past of fall is fell; felt is the past of feel.
Synonyms and opposites of fall apart
Words close to it, and words that mean the opposite.
Similar
- break downa machine stops, or a person starts to cry
- collapsefall down suddenly, or fail completely
- fall througha plan does not happen
Opposite
- hold togetherstay in one piece or stay united
- put togetherbuild something from parts
Fall apart quiz
Three quick questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why.
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1I’ve had this bag for ten years. It’s ___.
Something old falls apart when it starts to break into pieces.
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2Choose the right sentence.
Fall apart has no object, so the tent is the subject.
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3“Their business plan fell apart when the bank said no.” What happened?
A plan falls apart when it fails.
More phrasal verbs with fall
All phrasal verbs with fall, by level, with an exercise
6 phrasal verbs start with fall. Test yourself on all of them in a few minutes.
Fall apart FAQ
Questions people ask about fall apart.
What does my life is falling apart mean?
It means many things are going wrong at the same time, like work, money or relationships.
What is the difference between fall apart and fall down?
Fall apart means break into pieces or fail. Fall down means drop to the ground: The fence fell down.
What is the difference between fall apart and break down?
For people, both mean lose control of your feelings. Break down is often one moment of crying; fall apart can last a long time.
Use fall apart in real conversations
In Slova you learn new words with picture cards, then use them when you talk about the things you love. A few minutes a day, at your level.