fall at the last hurdle
To fail near the end of an activity, a project, etc.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“They worked hard but fell at the last hurdle.”
“I usually fall at the last hurdle because I lose my focus.”
“The team played well all season, but they fell at the last hurdle during the final championship game.”
“The baker spent hours on the wedding cake but fell at the last hurdle when the decorations collapsed while he was moving it.”
“After months of meticulous preparation, the candidate unfortunately fell at the last hurdle when she failed to answer the final interview question.”
disputed origin
Probably derived from the sport of hurdling, a form of horse racing in which the animal is required to jump over wooden obstacles. The phrase describes the specific misfortune of a horse that successfully clears every preceding barrier only to collapse or trip at the final jump. While the precise date of its idiomatic adoption is not recorded, the term draws directly from the physical mechanics of the racecourse, where the proximity of the finish line renders a failure at the terminal obstacle a particularly public inconvenience.
- 01
breathe one's last
To die.
- 02
catch a falling knife
To buy a financial instrument whose price is falling rapidly.
- 03
cobbler, keep to your last
One should not criticise matters outside one's field of expertise; one should mind one's business.
- 04
dead last
Finishing in last place in a competition or ranking, often by a considerable margin to the next to last place finisher or after an exceptionally poor showing or season.
- 05
draw one's last breath
To die.
- 06
every last
every; without exception (used for emphasis).
- 07
fall apart
To be emotionally in crisis.
- 08
fall around
To fall over continually, especially through drunkenness, clumsiness, or incompetence.
Last updated August 10, 2026