idiom · to fail an examination (derived from the story of falling behind Sun Shan, the person who came last on the list of successful candidates)

虽然他复习得很刻苦，但最终还是在高考中名落孙山。

idiom · to be unsuccessful, eliminated, or lose out in a competition or selection process

他的设计方案在这次招标中名落孙山。