" fall on one's face "

1: to be unsuccessful;

  * e.g., " ... Remembering how she fell on her face giving the speech the first time spurred her to practice it till she had it down. "

•  Synonyms : 

•  bomb,

•  collapse,

•  crater,

•  fail,

•  flame out,

•  flop,

•  flunk,

•  fold,

•  founder,

•  miss,

•  strike out,

•  tank,

•  wash out

•  Antonyms : 

•  click,

•  come off,

•  deliver,

•  go,

•  go over,

•  pan out,

•  succeed,

•  work out

1: to go down from an upright position suddenly and involuntarily;

  * e.g., " ... better sand that walkway before somebody falls on the ice "

•  Synonyms : 

•  slip,

•  stumble,

•  topple,

•  trip,

•  tumble

•  Antonyms : 

•  get up,

•  rise,

•  stand (up),

•  uprise

2: to yield to the control or power of enemy forces;

  * e.g., " ... the city fell after weeks of merciless bombardment "

•  Synonyms : 

•  capitulate,

•  give up,

•  knuckle under,

•  submit,

•  succumb,

•  surrender

•  Antonyms : 

•  endure,

•  stand

3: to go to a lower level especially abruptly;

  * e.g., " ... word soon got out that the movie was no good, and box-office receipts fell like a rock "

•  Synonyms : 

•  crash,

•  crater,

•  decline,

•  descend,

•  dip,

•  dive,

•  drop,

•  lower,

•  nose-dive,

•  plummet,

•  plunge,

•  sink,

•  skid,

•  tumble

•  Antonyms : 

•  arise,

•  ascend,

•  lift,

•  mount,

•  rise,

•  soar,

•  spike,

•  up

1: to take the first step in (a process or course of action);

  * e.g., " ... after some refreshments, she fell to working with renewed vigor "

•  Synonyms : 

•  begin,

•  commence,

•  embark (on or upon),

•  enter (into or upon),

•  get off,

•  kick off,

•  launch,

•  lead off,

•  open,

•  start,

•  strike (into)

•  Antonyms : 

•  conclude,

•  end,

•  finish,

•  terminate