diff --git a/frontend/src/App.css b/frontend/src/App.css
index d375724..7d890c4 100644
--- a/frontend/src/App.css
+++ b/frontend/src/App.css
@@ -772,6 +772,34 @@ a.app-footer__repo:hover {
   font-size: 0.875rem;
 }
 
+/* ── Partial match fallback ─────────────────────────────────────────── */
+
+.partial-match-banner {
+  text-align: center;
+  padding: 1rem;
+  margin-bottom: 1rem;
+  color: var(--color-text-muted);
+  font-size: 0.875rem;
+  border: 1px solid var(--color-border);
+  border-radius: var(--radius-md, 8px);
+  background: var(--color-surface-raised, var(--color-surface));
+}
+
+.partial-match-results__header {
+  font-size: 0.8125rem;
+  font-weight: 600;
+  text-transform: uppercase;
+  letter-spacing: 0.04em;
+  color: var(--color-text-muted);
+  margin-bottom: 0.75rem;
+  padding-bottom: 0.5rem;
+  border-bottom: 1px solid var(--color-border);
+}
+
+.partial-match-results .search-result-card {
+  opacity: 0.85;
+}
+
 .error-text {
   color: var(--color-error);
 }
diff --git a/frontend/src/api/public-client.ts b/frontend/src/api/public-client.ts
index 1148f5d..7addf57 100644
--- a/frontend/src/api/public-client.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/api/public-client.ts
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ export interface SearchResultItem {
 
 export interface SearchResponse {
   items: SearchResultItem[];
+  partial_matches: SearchResultItem[];
   total: number;
   query: string;
   fallback_used: boolean;
diff --git a/frontend/src/pages/SearchResults.tsx b/frontend/src/pages/SearchResults.tsx
index 5713990..f769ac6 100644
--- a/frontend/src/pages/SearchResults.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/pages/SearchResults.tsx
@@ -22,12 +22,14 @@ export default function SearchResults() {
   useDocumentTitle(q ? `Search: ${q} — Chrysopedia` : "Search — Chrysopedia");
 
   const [results, setResults] = useState<SearchResultItem[]>([]);
+  const [partialMatches, setPartialMatches] = useState<SearchResultItem[]>([]);
   const [loading, setLoading] = useState(false);
   const [error, setError] = useState<string | null>(null);
 
   const doSearch = useCallback(async (query: string) => {
     if (!query.trim()) {
       setResults([]);
+      setPartialMatches([]);
       return;
     }
 
@@ -36,9 +38,11 @@ export default function SearchResults() {
     try {
       const res = await searchApi(query.trim());
       setResults(res.items);
+      setPartialMatches(res.partial_matches ?? []);
     } catch (err) {
       setError(err instanceof Error ? err.message : "Search failed");
       setResults([]);
+      setPartialMatches([]);
     } finally {
       setLoading(false);
     }
@@ -69,8 +73,18 @@ export default function SearchResults() {
       {loading && <div className="loading">Searching…</div>}
       {error && <div className="loading error-text">Error: {error}</div>}
 
-      {/* No results */}
-      {!loading && !error && q && results.length === 0 && (
+      {/* No exact results — partial match fallback */}
+      {!loading && !error && q && results.length === 0 && partialMatches.length > 0 && (
+        <>
+          <div className="partial-match-banner">
+            <p>No exact matches for all terms in "{q}"</p>
+          </div>
+          <PartialMatchResults items={partialMatches} />
+        </>
+      )}
+
+      {/* No results at all */}
+      {!loading && !error && q && results.length === 0 && partialMatches.length === 0 && (
         <div className="empty-state">
           <p>No results found for "{q}"</p>
         </div>
@@ -155,3 +169,42 @@ function SearchResultCard({ item, staggerIndex }: { item: SearchResultItem; stag
     </Link>
   );
 }
+
+function PartialMatchResults({ items }: { items: SearchResultItem[] }) {
+  const techniqueResults = items.filter((r) => r.type === "technique_page");
+  const momentResults = items.filter((r) => r.type === "key_moment");
+
+  return (
+    <div className="partial-match-results">
+      <h3 className="partial-match-results__header">
+        Results matching some of your terms
+      </h3>
+
+      {techniqueResults.length > 0 && (
+        <section className="search-group">
+          <h4 className="search-group__title">
+            Techniques ({techniqueResults.length})
+          </h4>
+          <div className="search-group__list">
+            {techniqueResults.map((item, i) => (
+              <SearchResultCard key={`partial-tp-${item.slug}`} item={item} staggerIndex={i} />
+            ))}
+          </div>
+        </section>
+      )}
+
+      {momentResults.length > 0 && (
+        <section className="search-group">
+          <h4 className="search-group__title">
+            Key Moments ({momentResults.length})
+          </h4>
+          <div className="search-group__list">
+            {momentResults.map((item, i) => (
+              <SearchResultCard key={`partial-km-${item.slug}-${i}`} item={item} staggerIndex={i} />
+            ))}
+          </div>
+        </section>
+      )}
+    </div>
+  );
+}