were not met

USAGE SUMMARY

"were not met" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when referring to expectations or goals that were not accomplished. For example, "Our sales goals for the quarter were not met."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

These hopes were not met.

Independent

Lease payments were not met.

The New York Times

Those requirements were not met.

The New York Times

Today those conditions were not met.

The Guardian

Unfortunately, most of the ambitious goals were not met.

Harvard University

What would she do if they were not met?

The New York Times

Whatever the authorization, the arrests were not met with euphoria.

The New Yorker

Plans for the building were not met with universal approval.

The New York Times

On Wednesday, their leaders warned that they would disband completely if their demands were not met.

The Washington Post

These requirements were not met in the Pennsylvania study, the drug agency says.

The New York Times - Science

Where normality assumptions were not met, Kruskal Wallis tests were used with Dunn's Multiple comparison.

Nature

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "were not met" when you want to clearly state that expectations, requirements, or goals were not achieved. This phrase is suitable for both formal and informal contexts.

Common error

Avoid using "was not met" when referring to plural subjects like "expectations" or "requirements". Ensure the verb agrees with the subject in number; use "were not met" for plural subjects.

Linguistic Context

"Were not met" functions as a passive verb phrase, indicating that a subject (such as requirements, expectations, or goals) did not achieve a desired state or standard. As Ludwig AI confirms, this phrase is correct and widely applicable. It is effective in communicating a lack of fulfillment or attainment.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

48%

Science

28%

Academia

16%

Less common in

Formal & Business

4%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "were not met" is a grammatically sound and highly versatile expression used to indicate that expectations, requirements, or goals were not achieved. As confirmed by Ludwig AI, it is considered correct for general use. It is commonly found in news, scientific, and academic contexts, signaling its broad applicability. To ensure accuracy, pay attention to subject-verb agreement, using "were" with plural subjects. For alternative phrasing, consider options like "were unfulfilled" or "fell short of expectations" to add nuance to your writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

were unfulfilled

Replaces "met" with "fulfilled", emphasizing a lack of completion or satisfaction.

were not satisfied

Substitutes "met" with "satisfied", focusing on the lack of contentment or fulfillment of a need.

were not achieved

Replaces "met" with "achieved", highlighting the failure to reach a specific goal or target.

were not realized

Changes "met" to "realized", stressing that something didn't come to fruition or become a reality.

were not complied with

Adds "complied with", emphasizing a failure to adhere to rules, standards, or requests.

were not honored

Replaces "met" with "honored", implying a failure to uphold an agreement, promise, or commitment.

fell short of expectations

Uses a more descriptive phrase to indicate that something didn't meet the anticipated standards.

were not adhered to

Emphasizes a lack of compliance or adherence to specific guidelines or rules.

were not delivered

Focuses on the failure to provide something that was expected or promised.

were not respected

Indicates that certain boundaries, requests, or rights were not acknowledged or upheld.

FAQs

How can I use "were not met" in a sentence?

You can use "were not met" to indicate that certain expectations, goals, or requirements were not achieved. For example, "The project deadlines "were not met", leading to delays."

What are some alternatives to saying "were not met"?

Some alternatives include "were unfulfilled", "were not satisfied", or "fell short of expectations", depending on the specific context.

Is it grammatically correct to say "was not met" instead of "were not met"?

No, "was not met" is used with singular subjects, while "were not met" is used with plural subjects. For example, "The expectation was not met", but "The expectations "were not met"".

In what contexts is it appropriate to use the phrase "were not met"?

The phrase "were not met" is suitable in various contexts, including formal reports, academic papers, news articles, and general conversations, whenever you need to convey that certain criteria or expectations were not fulfilled.