Fall through means to fail to happen and is used about a deal, a trip, a purchase or an arrangement. It describes a situation where something was already agreed or almost decided, but in the end the plan collapsed. In the literal sense, fall through means to drop through something: fall through the ice.
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plan/deal/sale/trip + fall through; fall through at the last minute; fall through + the ice/floor
- Our holiday plans fell through when my manager cancelled all leave in August.
- The job offer fell through at the last minute because the company lost its funding.
- A fisherman fell through the ice on the lake but managed to climb out.
What changed
First versionThe sale of our flat didn't take place because the buyer couldn't get a mortgage.
RevisionThe sale of our flat fell through because the buyer couldn't get a mortgage.
Didn't take place can look like a natural way to say that a sale never happened. But take place is used for events: a concert, a meeting, a wedding. When a deal, a sale or a plan fails, English says fell through.
Fall through means that a plan never happened: The deal fell through. Fall apart means that something which already existed and worked has broken down: a marriage, a team, old shoes. Their business fell apart after two years.
Your turn
We had agreed on a price, but at the last moment the deal ___ because the bank refused the loan.
Show the answer
fell through — The deal collapsed at the last moment, so fell through. Fall out means to argue (fall out with someone) or to come out, like hair or a tooth. It does not fit a deal.
Write about a plan that fell through: a trip, a move, a purchase. Say what you had planned and why it did not work out.
Our plan to rent a cottage in Scotland fell through when the owner suddenly decided to sell it.
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