# fall apart

CEFR B1 · Phrasal verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/fall-apart
Updated: 2026-10-22

## Definition

to break into pieces because something is old or weak. You can also use this when a plan fails or when someone becomes so upset that they cannot cope.

For teachers: to disintegrate into components or lose structural integrity; figuratively, to suffer an emotional breakdown or to cease functioning effectively as a system. The verb is intransitive and does not take a direct object.

## Examples

- These old boots are starting to fall apart.
- Their marriage began to fall apart after they moved to a different city and started working long hours.
- The once-mighty empire began to fall apart as internal corruption and external pressures eroded its administrative foundations over several decades.

## Pitfalls

- Not "I fell apart the old radio to see the wires." but "I took apart the old radio to see the wires." — Learners often use 'fall apart' transitively when they mean 'take apart' or 'break apart'.

## Usage notes

- Used for physical objects, systems like businesses, and a person's emotional state.
- Teaching tip: Help students distinguish between the literal physical disintegration and the metaphorical emotional or systemic failure.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.