fall apart — break into pieces
phrasal verbB1IELTS 5+neutralcommon
To break into separate parts, usually because something is old, weak, or damaged.
Say it like a native
Textbook The old chair disintegrated into separate components.
Native The old chair just fell apart.
'Fall apart' is the everyday verb for things breaking up; 'disintegrated into separate components' is a lab report.
Pattern: fall apart (subject: object/thing)
In use
- My old shoes are starting to fall apart after years of use.daily life
- During the move, some of our boxes fell apart because they were too full.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ The bag fell apart into pieces.
✓ The bag fell apart.
'Fall apart' already means break into pieces — 'into pieces' is redundant.
Common collocations
fall apart + subject— at the seams, completely, the shoes, in my hands
Don't confuse it
'Break' can mean someone causes it; 'fall apart' means it happens naturally.
Related
- fall apart (become emotionally unable to cope) — Another meaning of 'fall apart' is 'become emotionally unable to cope'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.