to fall to the ground
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
To fail from lack of support; to become of no account. "In view of what has happened my proposals fall to the ground," i.e. are rendered useless.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “to fall to the ground” mean?
To fail from lack of support; to become of no account. "In view of what has happened my proposals fall to the ground," i.e. are rendered useless.
Is “to fall to the ground” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.