fall through the cracks
Meaning
To be overlooked or missed in a system or process, so it doesn’t get handled, noticed, or helped.
Origin
A metaphor from something small slipping into gaps between floorboards or cracks, then disappearing; later applied to bureaucratic or procedural gaps where cases get missed.
Notes
Negative nuance: implies an unintended oversight due to gaps in a system. Common in work, government, healthcare, and support contexts; neutral to semi-formal. Often hints at accountability.
Examples
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Some applicants fall through the cracks when the website glitches.
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After the reorganization, a few clients fell through the cracks.
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We need a checklist so nothing falls through the cracks.
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Kids in foster care can fall through the cracks without consistent follow-up.
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Her complaint fell through the cracks and was never investigated.
Grammar & Usage Notes
Usually intransitive: subject + fall/fell/has fallen through the cracks. “Through the cracks” is fixed (often with “the”). A common causative variant is “let (someone/something) fall through the cracks.”
Synonyms
- slip through the cracks
- be overlooked
- be missed
- go unnoticed
Antonyms
- be addressed
- be taken care of
- be accounted for
- be followed up on