fell flat on one's face
Totally bombed publicly
To fall flat on one's face is to fail completely and conspicuously, often after confident expectation of success.
The image is of someone stumbling forward and landing face-first—maximum embarrassment.
The product launch fell flat on its face when nobody showed up.
Also used literally for an actual tumble.
- tripPlanned travel somewhere
- flopComplete commercial failure
- blunderFoolish, costly mistake
- stumbleLose footing momentarily
- fall downDrop to the ground
face plant · humiliation · lose face · botch · embarrassment · public humiliation · faceplant · shame · defeat · frustration · misstep · egg on face · downfall · wipeout · crash · crash and burn · epic fail · pratfall
fell flat on one's facehit it out of the park
Succeed beyond expectations
nailed it · triumphed · aced it · crushed it · killed it
falling, fallen, flats, flatly, flatten, flattens, flattened, flattening, flatter