coming up short

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Christie and Michael McIntire were grasping for anything in the San Gabriel Valley and coming up short.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 17, 2026

The S&P 500’s rebound ran out of steam on Tuesday, with the index again coming up short of closing at the 7,000 milestone, as investors await data on U.S. jobs and inflation.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 10, 2026

The undefeated Hoosiers weren’t used to coming up short.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 20, 2026

There is a growing sense that Arsenal could be on the brink of something special after coming up short in the past few seasons, with three consecutive second-placed finishes in the Premier League.

From Barron's • Nov. 26, 2025

My brain felt muddled as I tried to remember a time that I’d written my name on this, but I kept coming up short.

From "Glitch" by Laura Martin