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general::
Phrase(s): fall (flat) on one’s face
1. Lit. to fall down, face first. • Bobby fell flat on his face and skinned his nose. • Down he went—he fell on his face. 2. Fig. to fail miserably, usually in a performance. • She was terrible in the play. She fell flat on her face. • The whole play fell on its face.
McGrawhill's American Idioms And Phrasal Verbs