| Break down | The Telegraph Cross Atlantic | 27 Oct 2025 | 
          
            | Grade that requires a retest |  |  | 
          
            | Get an F | USA Today | 13 Oct 2025 | 
          
            | Have no success when Alfie comes round endlessly (4) | Puzzler Cryptic | 03 Oct 2025 | 
          
            | Flunk, as a history test |  |  | 
          
            | Prove unsuccessful (4) | Mirror Classic | 21 Aug 2025 | 
          
            | Cease functioning (4) | Puzzler | 18 Aug 2025 | 
          
            | Bad exam result | The Telegraph Mini | 14 Aug 2025 | 
          
            | Flunk, as a test |  |  | 
          
            | Get an F | New York Times | 04 Aug 2025 | 
          
            | Bite the dust (4) | Puzzler | 01 Aug 2025 | 
          
            | Pass? Oh, no, no, no. |  |  | 
          
            | Be unsuccessful (4) | Mirror Quick | 16 Jul 2025 | 
          
            | Crash brings fellow trouble (4) | Mirror Cryptic | 16 Jul 2025 | 
          
            | F that comes right after A, B, C and D | New York Times | 22 Jun 2025 | 
          
            | Flunk(4) |  |  | 
          
            | Crash brings fellow trouble (4) | Mirror Cryptic | 18 Jun 2025 | 
          
            | Flunk (4) | Mirror Quick | 18 Jun 2025 | 
          
            | Be unsuccessful (4) | Mirror Classic | 13 Jun 2025 | 
          
            | Set up to ___ (sabotage) |  |  | 
          
            | As a result of an MoT test, cars don't make the grade (4) |  |  | 
          
            | Flunk | Eugene Sheffer | 27 May 2025 | 
          
            | Be unsuccessful | Mirror Quick | 27 May 2025 | 
          
            | Crash brings fellow trouble | Mirror Cryptic | 27 May 2025 | 
          
            | Epic ___ | USA Today | 07 May 2025 | 
          
            | Flunk, as a history test |  |  | 
          
            | Go under | Wall Street Journal | 08 Apr 2025 | 
          
            | Make a mistake following trouble (4) |  |  | 
          
            | Not being robust right away, one will not pass (4) |  |  | 
          
            | Get 0% on |  |  | 
          
            | To flunk upsets Alfie no end! (4) |  |  | 
          
            | Pass or __ |  |  | 
          
            | If Al goes out, he'll miss his achievement! (4) |  |  | 
          
            | Flunk, as a test |  |  | 
          
            | Be unsuccessful | The Times Concise | 07 Feb 2025 | 
          
            | Grade that requires a retest |  |  | 
          
            | Be unsuccessful | Universal | 19 Jan 2025 | 
          
            | Don't pass! | The Telegraph Cross Atlantic | 18 Jan 2025 | 
          
            | Get an F | Commuter | 10 Jan 2025 | 
          
            | "F" on a test |  |  | 
          
            | Not pass | Universal | 17 Dec 2024 | 
          
            | Be unsuccessful, the test |  |  | 
          
            | Maybe a lm can't be nished if you go bust (4) |  |  | 
          
            | "F" on a test |  |  | 
          
            | Miss achievement |  |  | 
          
            | Be unsuccessful | The Telegraph Cross Atlantic | 14 Nov 2024 | 
          
            | Not pass | New York Times | 15 Oct 2024 | 
          
            | Do horrible in class | Family Time | 15 Sep 2024 | 
          
            | Opposite of 'succeed' | Puzzler Backwords | 10 Sep 2024 | 
          
            | Opposite of 'pass' (an exam) (4) |  |  | 
          
            | Be unsuccessful | Newsday | 27 Aug 2024 | 
          
            | Get an F | Family Time | 28 Jul 2024 | 
          
            | Epic ___ (embarrassing blunder) | USA Today | 24 Jul 2024 | 
          
            | Be unsuccessful at, ... the subject |  |  | 
          
            | Drop the ball | Wall Street Journal | 15 Jun 2024 | 
          
            | Word in many a YouTube title | LA Times Daily | 09 Jun 2024 | 
          
            | Be unsuccessful in achieving your goal (4) |  |  | 
          
            | F, on a test |  |  | 
          
            | Do not succeed |  |  | 
          
            | To let down (4) |  |  | 
          
            | Get an F |  |  | 
          
            | Get an F | USA Today | 13 Mar 2024 | 
          
            | Flop, go bust (4) |  |  | 
          
            | I, in river, go belly up (4) |  |  | 
          
            | Female to sicken and disappoint | The Sun Two Speed | 08 Mar 2024 | 
          
            | Be unsuccessful | The Sun Two Speed | 08 Mar 2024 | 
          
            | Miss the wild part of California (4) |  |  | 
          
            | Unsuccessfully try to find one in the river (4) |  |  | 
          
            | Founder of football I left (4) |  |  | 
          
            | Flunk, as a test |  |  | 
          
            | Be unsuccessful | Mirror Classic | 20 Feb 2024 | 
          
            | Fighter facing trouble gets to be unsuccessful (4) |  |  | 
          
            | Go down the tubes | USA Today | 13 Feb 2024 | 
          
            | Grade that requires a retest |  |  | 
          
            | Be unsuccessful | Newsday | 29 Jan 2024 | 
          
            | Don't pass | New York Times | 16 Jan 2024 | 
          
            | Word in the title of many an embarrassing YouTube video |  |  | 
          
            | See if Al can be wanting (4) |  |  | 
          
            | "F" on a test |  |  | 
          
            | Go bankrupt | Wall Street Journal | 14 Nov 2023 | 
          
            | Fall short of a pass mark | The Times Concise | 21 Sep 2023 | 
          
            | "Words __ me!" | LA Times Daily | 27 Aug 2023 | 
          
            | Not succeed | USA Today | 25 Aug 2023 | 
          
            | Be unsuccessful | LA Times Daily | 20 Aug 2023 | 
          
            | Trouble follows loud bomb | The Times Cryptic | 18 Aug 2023 | 
          
            | Flunk, as an exam |  |  | 
          
            | Flunk a test, say |  |  | 
          
            | Flunk, as a test |  |  | 
          
            | Get an F on a test, say |  |  | 
          
            | Fall short | The Guardian Quick | 08 May 2023 | 
          
            | Get an F | Universal | 07 Feb 2023 | 
          
            | Not pass in math, say |  |  | 
          
            | Fall flat | LA Times Daily | 21 Sep 2022 | 
          
            | Get an F on | USA Today | 15 Sep 2022 | 
          
            | Opposite of ace, in a test |  |  | 
          
            | F on a test |  |  | 
          
            | Break down | Wall Street Journal | 03 May 2022 | 
          
            | Malfunction | The Telegraph Quick | 29 Apr 2022 | 
          
            | Epic __ | LA Times Daily | 21 Apr 2022 | 
          
            | Epic __ | The Washington Post | 21 Apr 2022 | 
          
            | Get an F |  |  | 
          
            | Be unsuccessful | Newsday | 23 Feb 2022 | 
          
            | Stop working for American institute in Florida | Irish Times Crosaire | 12 Feb 2022 | 
          
            | 'Don't ___ me now!' | The Washington Post Sunday | 09 Jan 2022 | 
          
            | Neglect | The Guardian Quick | 20 Nov 2021 | 
          
            | Not pass | Universal | 03 Nov 2021 | 
          
            | Go under | Thomas Joseph | 26 Jul 2021 | 
          
            | Stop working for American institute in Florida | Irish Times Crosaire | 23 Jul 2021 | 
          
            | Flunk | Eugene Sheffer | 17 Jul 2021 | 
          
            | Opposite of "succeed" |  |  | 
          
            | Be unsuccessful |  |  | 
          
            | Go belly up | Wall Street Journal | 16 Mar 2021 | 
          
            | Prove inadequate | Wall Street Journal | 16 Jan 2021 | 
          
            | Fall flat | LA Times Daily | 01 Jan 2021 | 
          
            | Fall flat | The Washington Post | 01 Jan 2021 | 
          
            | Flunk | Eugene Sheffer | 31 Dec 2020 | 
          
            | Hold for another year, say | New York Times | 18 Dec 2020 | 
          
            | Do poorly | USA Today | 18 Dec 2020 | 
          
            | Without ___ (always) |  |  | 
          
            | Go under | Thomas Joseph | 18 Sep 2020 | 
          
            | Not pass, in school | Universal | 18 Sep 2020 | 
          
            | Feasible, occasionally, to come up short |  |  | 
          
            | Fall flat | USA Today | 15 Jul 2020 | 
          
            | Break from female trouble |  |  | 
          
            | Not succeed | USA Today | 15 Jun 2020 | 
          
            | Go out of business | Wall Street Journal | 18 May 2020 | 
          
            | Miss the mark with spoonerisms out of professionalism | Irish Times Crosaire | 11 May 2020 | 
          
            | Be unsuccessful | The Times Concise | 20 Mar 2020 | 
          
            | Not get above 60, say | New York Times | 19 Feb 2020 | 
          
            | "Without ___" 2002 novel written by Lee Child in which Jack Reacher helps Mary Ellen Froelich protect the Vice-President-Elect |  |  | 
          
            | Give out | Wall Street Journal | 16 Nov 2019 | 
          
            | Break down | The Telegraph Quick | 28 Sep 2019 | 
          
            | Let down smaller section of Irish party |  |  | 
          
            | Be unsuccessful | The Telegraph Quick | 20 Aug 2019 | 
          
            | Come to nothing | New York Times | 10 Jul 2019 | 
          
            | Be unsuccessful | The Sun Two Speed | 03 Jun 2019 | 
          
            | Female to sicken and disappoint | The Sun Two Speed | 03 Jun 2019 | 
          
            | Give out | Thomas Joseph | 09 May 2019 | 
          
            | Break down | The Times Concise | 28 Apr 2019 | 
          
            | Bomb, as a midterm | Universal | 01 Apr 2019 | 
          
            | Opposite of "succeed" |  |  | 
          
            | Unable to meet success |  |  | 
          
            | Flunk | Canadiana | 11 Feb 2019 | 
          
            | ___-safe (contingency plan) |  |  | 
          
            | Bomb, as a midterm |  |  | 
          
            | Come to nothing |  |  | 
          
            | Have to repeat a grade | Universal | 29 Nov 2018 | 
          
            | Fall short | USA Today | 06 Nov 2018 | 
          
            | How to repeat a grade | Universal | 25 Oct 2018 | 
          
            | Founder | Wall Street Journal | 25 Oct 2018 | 
          
            | Epic __: disaster | LA Times Daily | 16 Oct 2018 | 
          
            | Epic __: disaster | The Washington Post | 16 Oct 2018 | 
          
            | Go down the tubes | USA Today | 10 Oct 2018 | 
          
            | Become unsuccessful at achieving a target, say |  |  | 
          
            | Be triumphant? No | Universal | 21 Aug 2018 | 
          
            | One on YouTube might be epic | The Chronicle of Higher Education | 30 Mar 2018 | 
          
            | Be unsuccessful | Wall Street Journal | 19 Mar 2018 | 
          
            | Be unsuccessful | Irish Times Simplex | 17 Feb 2018 | 
          
            | Founder |  |  | 
          
            | One on YouTube might be epic |  |  | 
          
            | Epic __: disaster |  |  | 
          
            | Be triumphant? No |  |  | 
          
            | Have to repeat a grade |  |  | 
          
            | How to repeat a grade |  |  | 
          
            | Fall short |  |  | 
          
            | Go down the tubes |  |  | 
          
            | Be unsuccessful | The Washington Post | 26 Dec 2017 | 
          
            | Be unsuccessful | LA Times Daily | 26 Dec 2017 | 
          
            | Be unsuccessful | Newsday | 17 Dec 2017 | 
          
            | Fall short | Universal | 11 Dec 2017 | 
          
            | Urged to leave lifeguard or go broke | Irish Times Crosaire | 04 Dec 2017 | 
          
            | Get 29-Across | New York Times | 01 Oct 2017 | 
          
            | Opposite of pass | Family Time | 17 Sep 2017 | 
          
            | Founder of football body I left | The Telegraph Cryptic | 16 Sep 2017 | 
          
            | It can be an epic one |  |  | 
          
            | Not work out | Newsday | 06 Aug 2017 | 
          
            | Go wrong | The Telegraph Quick | 06 Jun 2017 | 
          
            | Start to feel pain and collapse |  |  | 
          
            | Break down following trouble | The Telegraph Toughie | 05 May 2017 | 
          
            | Epic __ | LA Times Daily | 26 Jan 2017 | 
          
            | Go belly up | Eugene Sheffer | 23 Jan 2017 | 
          
            | Be unsuccessful |  |  | 
          
            | Fall short |  |  | 
          
            | Get 29-Across |  |  | 
          
            | Epic __ |  |  | 
          
            | Crash and burn | New York Times | 18 Nov 2016 | 
          
            | Get no credit for, in school | LA Times Daily | 15 Nov 2016 | 
          
            | Pass's opposite | New York Times | 20 Sep 2016 | 
          
            | Come up short | Newsday | 06 Sep 2016 | 
          
            | Flunk when feeble, right to pull out |  |  | 
          
            | Suffer a defeat* | Wall Street Journal | 15 Jul 2016 | 
          
            | Flunk out | USA Today | 05 Jun 2016 | 
          
            | Go belly-up | USA Today | 25 Apr 2016 | 
          
            | Fall on one's face | USA Today | 09 Apr 2016 | 
          
            | Go up in smoke | LA Times Daily | 30 Mar 2016 | 
          
            | Wash out | The Chronicle of Higher Education | 11 Mar 2016 | 
          
            | Wash out |  |  | 
          
            | Pass's opposite |  |  | 
          
            | Crash and burn |  |  | 
          
            | Flunk out |  |  | 
          
            | Bite the dust | The Washington Post | 21 Dec 2015 | 
          
            | Be unsuccessful in fighting against insurgency leaders, initially |  |  | 
          
            | Need repair | Newsday | 29 Oct 2015 | 
          
            | Go bankrupt | Premier Sunday | 07 Jun 2015 | 
          
            | Not catch on | Newsday | 14 Feb 2015 | 
          
            | Not make the grade | USA Today | 06 Feb 2015 | 
          
            | Need repair |  |  | 
          
            | Not make the grade |  |  | 
          
            | Go belly up |  |  | 
          
            | Not catch on |  |  | 
          
            | Come up short |  |  | 
          
            | Go bankrupt |  |  | 
          
            | Go belly-up |  |  | 
          
            | Pass opposite |  |  | 
          
            | Wash out |  |  | 
          
            | Get an F |  |  | 
          
            | Be unsuccessful |  |  | 
          
            | Get terrible grades |  |  | 
          
            | Get no credit, in a way |  |  | 
          
            | Go under |  |  | 
          
            | Fall flat |  |  | 
          
            | Need to retake in summer school, say |  |  | 
          
            | Opposite of pass |  |  | 
          
            | Go pfft |  |  | 
          
            | Flunk out |  |  | 
          
            | Strike out |  |  | 
          
            | Not make the grade? |  |  | 
          
            | Flunk out |  |  | 
          
            | Fall flat |  |  | 
          
            | Bomb |  |  | 
          
            | Fall short |  |  | 
          
            | "Words ___ me!" |  |  | 
          
            | Wash out |  |  | 
          
            | Go bankrupt |  |  | 
          
            | Epic ___ |  |  | 
          
            | Come to naught |  |  | 
          
            | Don't pass |  |  | 
          
            | With 55-Across, 58-/46-Across movie (1964) |  |  | 
          
            | Flunk |  |  | 
          
            | Fall short of success |  |  | 
          
            | Fall short |  |  | 
          
            | Fall short of success |  |  | 
          
            | Fall short |  |  | 
          
            | Pass's opposite |  |  | 
          
            | Come up short |  |  | 
          
            | Bomb |  |  | 
          
            | Tank |  |  | 
          
            | Come up short |  |  | 
          
            | Tank |  |  | 
          
            | Pass's opposite |  |  | 
          
            | Bomb |  |  | 
          
            | Flunk out |  |  | 
          
            | Fall short |  |  | 
          
            | Earn no credit |  |  | 
          
            | Without ___ (religiously) |  |  | 
          
            | Not pass |  |  | 
          
            | Pass alternative |  |  | 
          
            | Opposite of pass |  |  | 
          
            | Go down the tubes |  |  | 
          
            | Go kaput |  |  | 
          
            | Earn no credit, say |  |  | 
          
            | Not pass |  |  | 
          
            | Not make the grade |  |  | 
          
            | Fall on one's face |  |  | 
          
            | Flunk |  |  | 
          
            | Go broke |  |  | 
          
            | Go under |  |  | 
          
            | Be unsuccessful |  |  | 
          
            | Give out |  |  | 
          
            | Go belly-up |  |  | 
          
            | Wash out |  |  | 
          
            | Bite the dust |  |  | 
          
            | Give out |  |  | 
          
            | Go belly up |  |  | 
          
            | Bite the dust |  |  | 
          
            | Wash out |  |  | 
          
            | Go belly up |  |  | 
          
            | Flunk |  |  | 
          
            | Strike out |  |  | 
          
            | Not work out |  |  | 
          
            | Go kaput |  |  | 
          
            | Go bankrupt |  |  | 
          
            | Pass alternative |  |  | 
          
            | Go bankrupt |  |  | 
          
            | Wash out |  |  | 
          
            | Flunk |  |  | 
          
            | Not cut it |  |  | 
          
            | Opposite of pass |  |  | 
          
            | Give |  |  | 
          
            | Go downhill |  |  | 
          
            | Go belly up |  |  | 
          
            | Fall short |  |  | 
          
            | Go down the tubes |  |  | 
          
            | Miss the mark |  |  | 
          
            | Go out of business |  |  | 
          
            | Don't pass |  |  | 
          
            | Stop running, perhaps |  |  | 
          
            | Close down |  |  | 
          
            | Go belly up |  |  | 
          
            | Come up short |  |  | 
          
            | Go belly-up |  |  | 
          
            | Go belly up |  |  | 
          
            | Go under |  |  | 
          
            | Go belly up |  |  | 
          
            | Go belly-up |  |  | 
          
            | Fall through |  |  | 
          
            | Prove deficient |  |  | 
          
            | Miss the mark |  |  | 
          
            | Earn an F |  |  | 
          
            | Go on the fritz |  |  | 
          
            | Go belly-up |  |  | 
          
            | Flunk |  |  | 
          
            | Give out |  |  | 
          
            | Go down in history? |  |  | 
          
            | Not work |  |  | 
          
            | Go belly-up |  |  | 
          
            | Go on the fritz |  |  | 
          
            | Neglect school |  |  | 
          
            | Go belly-up |  |  | 
          
            | Opposite of ace |  |  | 
          
            | Go bust |  |  | 
          
            | Blow it |  |  | 
          
            | Get an F |  |  | 
          
            | Go pfft! |  |  | 
          
            | Go under |  |  | 
          
            | Give out |  |  | 
          
            | Conk out |  |  | 
          
            | Not succeed |  |  | 
          
            | Miss the mark |  |  | 
          
            | Go Belly up |  |  | 
          
            | Flunk |  |  | 
          
            | Blow it |  |  | 
          
            | Not make the grade |  |  | 
          
            | Poop out |  |  | 
          
            | Get an F |  |  | 
          
            | Flop |  |  | 
          
            | Conk out |  |  | 
          
            | Come up short |  |  | 
          
            | Fall short |  |  | 
          
            | Flunk out |  |  | 
          
            | Go pfft! |  |  | 
          
            | Not work |  |  | 
          
            | Lose vigor |  |  | 
          
            | Flop |  |  | 
          
            | Lose power |  |  | 
          
            | Prove deficient |  |  | 
          
            | Lay an egg |  |  | 
          
            | Go broke |  |  | 
          
            | Safe preceder |  |  | 
          
            | Be lacking |  |  | 
          
            | Get an F on an exam |  |  | 
          
            | Disappoint |  |  | 
          
            | Fall short |  |  | 
          
            | Come a cropper |  |  | 
          
            | Miscarry |  |  | 
          
            | Mess up |  |  | 
          
            | Flunk out |  |  | 
          
            | Fianna ___ |  |  | 
          
            | Miss |  |  | 
          
            | Go under |  |  | 
          
            | Be washed out. |  |  | 
          
            | Go pfft big time |  |  | 
          
            | Get E on an exam. |  |  | 
          
            | Flunk. |  |  | 
          
            | Be unavailing. |  |  | 
          
            | Fall short. |  |  | 
          
            | Piggin. |  |  | 
          
            | Default. |  |  | 
          
            | Go into bankruptcy. |  |  | 
          
            | Miss. |  |  | 
          
            | Be found wanting. |  |  | 
          
            | Get an "F." |  |  | 
          
            | Epic ___ |  |  | 
          
            | Be unavailing |  |  | 
          
            | Disappoint. |  |  | 
          
            | Not pass. |  |  |