Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

fall at the last hurdle

/ˈfɔl æt ðə ˌlæst ˈhɝd(ə)l/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.40 in modern English

Syllables: hurd-le
IPA: /ˈfɔl æt ðə ˌlæst ˈhɝd(ə)l/

29

Scrabble Score

19

Letters

2

Syllables

10

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To fail near the end of an activity, a project, etc.

Intransitive verb

Example Sentences

"[W]hen she [Psyche] falls at her last hurdle, it is through her own act, motivated by the identical combination of curiositas and simplicitas that has been her undoing from the start."
"Now, at the point of action, it's easy to appear to fall at the last hurdle. In fact, you are unlikely to fail here. If it goes wrong now, it will [be] because you slipped at a previous waterjump and didn't notice the splash you made."
"Mortal Kombat 2 is the sequel to Mortal Kombat. […] Sub Zero—the mysterious icy ninja, is one of the best fighters out of the brave warriors trying to save earth from the hands of Shao Khan. Falling himself also at the last hurdle of doing away with Tsung, wants to get his frosty hands on Khan now."
"[T]he resources of local land settlement commissions could be tied up for many months or years in a continuous process of devising and revising enclosure projects, only for the final project to fall at the last hurdle."
"Armagh (and it is one of the most memorable chapters in the history of Gaelic football) were fated to fall at the last hurdle when they were beaten by Kerry in the All-Ireland decider."
"I remembered my failed attempt at flying training, how I had fallen at the last hurdle."

Etymology

Probably from hurdling, a type of horse racing where horses jump over obstacles called hurdles. The term refers to a horse successfully clearing all but the last hurdle.

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈfɔl æt ðə ˌlæst ˈhɝd(ə)l/
British English: /ˈfɔːl æt ðə ˌlɑːst ˈhɜːdl̩/

Usage

Intransitive verb

Inflected Forms

falls at the last hurdle (present, singular) falling at the last hurdle (participle, present) fell at the last hurdle (past) fallen at the last hurdle (participle, past)

Synonyms

fall at the final hurdle fall at the last

Antonyms

cross the line go all the way

Rhymes With

fall at the final hurdle

Questions

How do you pronounce fall at the last hurdle?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈfɔl æt ðə ˌlæst ˈhɝd(ə)l/.
What does fall at the last hurdle mean?: To fail near the end of an activity, a project, etc.
Where does fall at the last hurdle come from?: Probably from hurdling, a type of horse racing where horses jump over obstacles called hurdles. The term refers to a horse successfully clearing all but the last hurdle.

How to pronounce fall at the last hurdle

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “fall at the last hurdle”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈfɔl æt ðə ˌlæst ˈhɝd(ə)l/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “fall at the last hurdle”.
Repeat and practice — Say “fall at the last hurdle” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.