fall apart

1 phrasal verbphr v

na) EFFECTIVEif an organization, system, relationship etc falls apart, it stops being effective or successful

Don’t be reckless or your plans may fall apart.

The health service is falling apart at the seams.

nb) be falling apartCONDITION/STATE OF something to be in very bad condition

Tommy’s old bicycle was rusty and falling apart.

nc) BREAKto break into pieces

The book fell apart in my hands.

nd) FAILto be unable to deal with your personal or emotional problems

She had to get some rest or she was going to fall apart.

ne) somebody’s world/life falls apart if someone’s world or life falls apart, something very bad and serious happens which changes their life

When his wife left him, his world fell apart.

→ fall

Examples from the Corpus

fall apart• Over the period of the Hinkley C Inquiry, those claims finally fell apart.• There were gasps, moans, long pauses, the sound of tears falling, and of a man falling apart.• To this day I credit James's persistence in not letting us slip away or fall apart.• Within days, the historic deal inexplicably fell apart.• But everything fell apart and Shields began to slice through a non-existent home midfield.• The Soviet Union fell apart in 1991.• Finally, there had been the last few months, when everything had fallen apart with such shattering swiftness.

falling apart at the seams• Our department is falling apart at the seams.• It was symptomatic of a system going soft, falling apart at the seams.

be falling apart• I need some new shoes. These are falling apart.• The Underground seemed to be falling apart.• That car of yours is falling apart.• She liked her old apartment, but the neighborhood was falling apart.• The 911 system is falling apart.• Everything was falling apart, and I didn't know how to stop it.• How does a man even try to explain that he is falling apart because he doesn't kill people any more?• San Diego's public buildings are falling apart, but the city refuses to do anything about it.• But things were falling apart much earlier than expected.• Mukhamedov's defection two years ago, just as Communism was falling apart, will not be forgiven in a hurry.

somebody’s world/life falls apart• When your world falls apart, do you get mad, get out or get even?

→ fall apart at apart(1)

2 phrasal verbphr v

a) EFFECTIVEif an organization, system, relationship etc falls apart, it stops being effective or successful 〔组织、制度、关系等〕崩溃，破裂

Don’t be reckless or your plans may fall apart.

别鲁莽，否则你的计划可能会失败。

The health service is falling apart at the seams.

医疗保健制度行将崩溃。

b) be falling apartCONDITION/STATE OF something to be in very bad condition 快散架，破旧不堪

Tommy’s old bicycle was rusty and falling apart.

汤米的旧自行车锈迹斑斑，都快散架了。

c) BREAKto break into pieces 破碎，断裂，散开

The book fell apart in my hands.

那本书在我手里散了架。

d) FAILto be unable to deal with your personal or emotional problems 垮掉，崩溃

She had to get some rest or she was going to fall apart.

她必须休息，否则要崩溃了。

e) somebody’s world/life falls apart if someone’s world or life falls apart, something very bad and serious happens which changes their life 某人的世界/生活垮掉

When his wife left him, his world fell apart.

妻子离他而去，他的世界就此垮了。

Examples from the Corpus