fall at the last hurdle

== English == === Etymology === Probably from hurdling, a type of horse racing where horses jump over obstacles called hurdles. The term refers to a horse successfully clearing all but the last hurdle. === Pronunciation === (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈfɔːl æt ðə ˌlɑːst ˈhɜːdl̩/ (General American) IPA(key): /ˈfɔl æt ðə ˌlæst ˈhɝd(ə)l/ Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)dəl Hyphenation: hurd‧le === Verb === fall at the last hurdle (third-person singular simple present falls at the last hurdle, present participle falling at the last hurdle, simple past fell at the last hurdle, past participle fallen at the last hurdle) (intransitive, idiomatic) To fail near the end of an activity, a project, etc. Synonyms: fall at the final hurdle, fall at the last Antonyms: cross the line, go all the way ==== Translations ==== === References ===