AAAmerican Accent US

fall apart

No object

This verb takes no object at all.

How to say it

Stress the particle, not the verb: fall APART. Saying “FALL apart” is the clearest learner tell — the verb stays light and the particle carries the beat.

Link across the gap. The final /l/ of “fall” moves onto the particle and starts its syllable: “fall apart” is said “fa-lapart”. Pausing between the words is what makes phrasal verbs sound recited rather than spoken.

3 meanings

  1. 1

    (Of a plan or organisation) to collapse or fail.

    • “Their plan fell apart due to poor communication.”
    • “The deal fell apart at the last minute.”

    Similar: collapse, disintegrate

  2. 2

    To break into pieces.

    • “The old paperback fell apart in my bag.”

    Similar: come apart

  3. 3

    To lose emotional control.

    • “He fell apart after the diagnosis.”

    Similar: break down

Don’t confuse it with

fall through(Of a plan or arrangement) to fail to happen.

Fall APART is a gradual collapse of something that existed. Fall THROUGH is a plan that never happened at all.

The particle logic

apart

A whole becomes separate parts.

Listen + practice

Hear “fall apart” spoken naturally

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More FALL phrasal verbs

Compare the whole family →

fall behind

To fail to keep pace with others or with a schedule.

fall for

To be deceived by a trick or a lie.

fall out

To quarrel and stop being friends.

fall through

(Of a plan or arrangement) to fail to happen.

fall down

To collapse or drop to the ground.

fall back on

To resort to a reliable alternative when your first choice fails.

fall off

To decrease in amount or quality.

fall apart — meaning, examples & how to say it