fall

\ ˈfȯl

How to pronounce fall (audio)

\

fell\ ˈfel

How to pronounce fell (audio)

\; fallen\ ˈfȯ-lən

How to pronounce fallen (audio)

\; falling

Definition of fall

(Entry 1 of 3)

intransitive verb

1a : to descend freely by the force of gravity An apple fell from the tree.

b : to hang freely her hair falls over her shoulders

c : to drop oneself to a lower position fell to his knees

d : to come or go as if by falling darkness falls early in the winter

2 : to become born —usually used of lambs

3a : to become lower in degree or level the temperature fell 10°

b : to drop in pitch or volume their voices fell to a whisper

c : issue sense 1a wisdom that fell from his lips

d : to become lowered her eyes fell

4a : to leave an erect position suddenly and involuntarily slipped and fell on the ice

b : to enter as if unawares : stumble, stray fell into error We fell into a trap.

c : to drop down wounded or dead especially : to die in battle Many men fell on the battlefield.

d : to suffer military capture after a long siege the city fell

e : to lose office the party fell from power

f : to suffer ruin, defeat, or failure the deal fell through

5 : to commit an immoral act but man willfully misused his God-given freedom and fell into sin— John Hick especially : to lose one's chastity

6a : to move or extend in a downward direction the land falls away to the east

b : subside, abate the wind is falling

c : to decline in quality, activity, or quantity production fell off

d : to lose weight —used with off or awayThe cattle have fallen off badly in the drought.

e : to assume a look of shame, disappointment, or dejection his face fell

f : to decline in financial value or price stocks fell sharply

7a : to occur at a certain time her birthday falls on a Monday this year

b : to come by chance a job that fell into his hands

c : to come or pass by lot, assignment, or inheritance : devolve it fell to him to break the news

d : to have a certain or proper position, place, or station the accent falls on the second syllable

8 : to come within the limits, scope, or jurisdiction of something this word falls into the class of verbs

9 : to pass suddenly and passively into a state of body or mind or a new state or condition fall asleep fall in love

10 : to set about heartily or actively fell to work

11 : strike, impinge music falling on the ear

transitive verb

fall all over oneself or fall over oneself or fall over backward

: to display great or excessive eagerness Fans were falling all over themselves trying to get the basketball star's autograph.

fall apart

1 : disintegrate The pie was falling apart as I served it.

2 : to succumb to mental or emotional stress : break down She began to fall apart when her son was imprisoned.

fall behind

1 : to lag behind The slower hikers fell behind the group.

2 : to be in arrears He fell behind in his car payments.

fall between two stools

: to fail because of inability to choose between or reconcile two alternative or conflicting courses of action

fall flat

: to produce no response or result the joke fell flat

fall for

1 : to fall in love with He fell for her the moment he saw her.

2 : to become a victim of fell for the trick

fall from grace

: to lose acceptance or good reputation The governor fell from grace when he was accused of tax fraud.

fall home

: to curve inward —used of the timbers or upper parts of a ship's side

fall into line

: to comply with a certain course of action The company fell into line with the new regulations.

fall on or fall upon

: to meet with fell on hard times

fall on one's face

: to fail utterly the movie fell on its face at the box office

fall on one's sword

: to sacrifice one's pride or position The coach fell on his sword apologizing for the team's poor season.

fall short

1 : to be deficient The expedition's supplies began to fall short.

2 : to fail to attain something (such as a goal or target) The results fell short of expectations.

fall

Definition of fall (Entry 2 of 3)

1 : the act of falling by the force of gravity

2a : a falling out, off, or away : dropping the fall of leaves a fall of snow

b : the season when leaves fall from trees : autumn

c : a thing or quantity that falls or has fallen a fall of rock at the base of the cliff especially : one or more meteorites or their fragments that have fallen together

d(1) : birth

(2) : the quantity born —usually used of lambs

3a : a costume decoration of lace or thin fabric arranged to hang loosely and gracefully

b : a very wide turned-down collar worn in the 17th century

c : the part of a turnover collar from the crease to the outer edge

d : a wide front flap on trousers (such as those worn by sailors)

e : the freely hanging lower edge of the skirt of a coat

f : one of the three outer and often drooping segments of the flower of an iris — compare standard sense 8b

g : long hair overhanging the face of dogs of some breeds

h : a usually long straight portion of hair that is attached to a person's own hair

4 : a hoisting-tackle rope or chain especially : the part of it to which the power is applied

5a : loss of greatness : collapse the fall of the Roman Empire

b : the surrender or capture of a besieged place the fall of Troy

c : lapse or departure from innocence or goodness

d : loss of a woman's chastity

e : the blame for a failure or misdeed took the fall for the robbery

6a : the downward slope (as of a hill) : declivity

b : a precipitous descent of water : waterfall —usually used in plural but singular or plural in construction

c : a musical cadence

d : a falling-pitch intonation in speech

7 : a decrease in size, quantity, degree, or value

8a : the distance which something falls

b : inclination, pitch

9a : the act of felling something

b : the quantity of trees cut down

c(1) : an act of forcing a wrestler's shoulders to the mat for a specified time (such as one second)

(2) : a bout of wrestling

10 Scotland : destiny, lot

fall

Definition of fall (Entry 3 of 3)

: of, relating to, or suitable for autumn a new fall coat

Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about fall

Keep scrolling for more

Examples of fall in a Sentence

Verb An apple fell from the tree. A vase fell off the shelf. Rain fell from the sky. the sound of the falling rain She slipped and fell on the ice. He fell flat on his face. She was afraid that I would trip and fall. He fell down the stairs. One of the sailors had fallen overboard. He fell back onto the bed. Noun a fall from a horse She's had several bad falls in recent years. a fall of three feet the rise and fall of the tide She went off to college in the fall. Several weeks of fall remain before winter begins. When fall came he planted grass. a fall in the price of oil

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb There's uncertainty surrounding the 2020-21 college basketball season, with NCAA fall athletics in jeopardy due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. — Scott Gleeson, USA TODAY, "Six most impactful college basketball returnees in wake of NBA draft deadline," 5 Aug. 2020 Warren also confirmed that, at least for some teams, fall camp will begin Friday. — Orion Sang, Detroit Free Press, "Don't get excited about Big Ten football schedules just yet. Here's why," 5 Aug. 2020 There’s still at least a month left of peak tourism season for northeastern Minnesota, and fall colors draw large crowds to the North Shore through October. — Katie Galioto, Star Tribune, "St. Louis County adding COVID-19 cases faster than any other county in Minnesota," 5 Aug. 2020 First-year coach Jeff Traylor’s preparations for the 2020 season ramp up Friday, when UTSA opens fall camp. — Greg Luca, ExpressNews.com, "Through uncertainty, UTSA set to begin fall practice under first-year coach Jeff Traylor," 5 Aug. 2020 The Louisville football team will begin fall camp Tuesday morning with a 9:30 a.m. practice. — Cameron Teague Robinson, The Courier-Journal, "3 big questions Louisville football is looking to answer as fall camp begins," 4 Aug. 2020 South Alabama will begin fall camp Wednesday, two days earlier than the first allowable date for teams beginning their season on Sept. 5. — Creg Stephenson | Cstephenson@al.com, al, "Sun Belt approves plan for 8 conference games, up to 4 non-conference games in 2020," 4 Aug. 2020 Currently, the village collects leaves and fall yard waste during an eight-week period; however, the Aug. 3 board vote reduces that timeframe down to six weeks. — Steve Schering, chicagotribune.com, "Oak Park to reduce fall leaf collection period by two weeks this fall," 4 Aug. 2020 The proverbial rumor mill was running rampant Thursday night regarding fall high school sports in Ohio, and for good reason. — Scott Springer, The Enquirer, "It's still a go: OHSAA set for fall sports but await OK for contact competitions," 31 July 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun The Turkish lira hit a record low against the dollar despite efforts by the country’s central bank to curtail its fall. — Caitlin Ostroff, WSJ, "Turkish Lira Hits Record Low, Spurring Expectations of Rate Rise," 6 Aug. 2020 Find them from summer through fall (or year-round from warmer regions like Mexico and Florida). — Alex Beggs, Bon Appétit, "What Is an Eggplant, I Beg of You?," 6 Aug. 2020 The Nordstrom Anniversary Sale is the absolute best time to purchase boots for fall and winter. — Amanda Tarlton, USA TODAY, "30+ amazing women’s fashion deals from the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale," 6 Aug. 2020 But other states like California are having their fall and winter sports seasons start in January. — Fox News, "High school athletes fear shorter seasons, less college recruiting over coronavirus concerns this fall," 5 Aug. 2020 Lastly, Samsung’s pair of tablets, the Tab S7 and Tab S7+, land this fall with starting prices of $649.99 and $849.99, respectively. — Jason Cipriani, CNN Underscored, "Here’s what you need to know about Samsung’s Note 20 and 20 Ultra, Galaxy Buds Live, Tab S7 and S7+, and Galaxy Watch 3," 5 Aug. 2020 Transplant fall tomato plants into your garden by the end of August. — Dan Gill, NOLA.com, "Get ready for fall tomatoes and basil, and watch the lawn for webworms," 5 Aug. 2020 While some districts have opted to continue virtual learning through the fall – Philadelphia chief among them – many others said limited access to high speed internet and parents forced to return to work make staying remote impossible. — Christen Smith, Washington Examiner, "Pennsylvania educators plead for more money to handle COVID-19," 4 Aug. 2020 Kaufman has instructed his fall coaches to get their kids ready for their first games. — Scott Springer, The Enquirer, "DeWine says Ohio Department of Health testing protocols weren't meant for prep sports," 4 Aug. 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective With the Colorado High School Activities Association yet to clarify the status of fall high school football in the state, the move made sense for Rubley. — Andy Yamashita, The Denver Post, "Jake Rubley, Colorado’s top-rated senior football player, considering move to Iowa," 3 Aug. 2020 While fall isn’t quite here yet (the season officially starts in three days, even though Walmart decor indicates otherwise), what is here is fall festival season. — al, "Alabama Fair Food: Pickle Pizza, Gator on a Stick and Fried Snickers in Birmingham," 20 Sep. 2019 The right-wing Law and Justice party wants to strengthen its position before fall parliamentary elections. — Washington Post, "EU’s Tusk queried in Poland over his past policy as premier," 17 June 2019 Read more about Macron’s moment of truth on his labor law: QuickTake Q&A Macron’s popularity has declined precipitously ahead of France’s traditional fall protest season. — Mark Deen, Bloomberg.com, "French Unions Fail to Draw Big Crowds Against Macron Reform," 12 Sep. 2017 The battle for fall taste buds is now in full swing. — Editors, USA TODAY, "The Vegas shooting, MH370: Sometimes there are no answers," 3 Oct. 2017 The improved health of local waters is highlighted by the now regular fall appearance of humpback whales feeding on large schools of Atlantic menhaden at the borders of New York harbor, within site of the Empire State Building. — Mark Stoeckle, Smithsonian, "Scientists Can Tell What Fish Live Where Based On DNA in the Water," 13 Apr. 2017 Fall camp practices begin in Auburn today after players reported Sunday and there is much to be determined over the next five weeks. — James Crepea, AL.com, "5 Auburn players with the most to gain during fall camp," 31 July 2017 As these vegetables play themselves out, switch gears and focus on fall vegetables. — Debbie Arrington, sacbee, "Squash looking fried? Time to switch garden gears," 14 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'fall.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Keep scrolling for more

Keep scrolling for more

More Definitions for fall

fall

verb

English Language Learners Definition of fall

(Entry 1 of 2)

: to come or go down quickly from a high place or position

: to come or go down suddenly from a standing position

: to let yourself come or go down to a lower position

fall

noun

English Language Learners Definition of fall (Entry 2 of 2)

: the act of coming or going down from a high position or from a standing position

: the act of becoming lower

US : the season between summer and winter : the season when leaves fall from trees

See the full definition for fall in the English Language Learners Dictionary

fall

\ ˈfȯl

\

fell\ ˈfel \; fallen\ ˈfȯ-lən \; falling

Kids Definition of fall

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : to come or go down freely by the force of gravity An apple fell from the tree.

2 : to come as if by falling Night fell before we got home.

3 : to become lower (as in degree or value) The temperature fell ten degrees.

4 : to topple from an upright position The tree fell.

5 : to collapse wounded or dead Too many soldiers have fallen in battle.

6 : to become captured The city fell to the enemy.

7 : to occur at a certain time This year my birthday falls on a Monday.

8 : to pass from one condition of body or mind to another fall asleep fall ill

fall back

: retreat entry 2 sense 1 “… the Witch and her crew will … fall back to her house and prepare for a siege.”— C. S. Lewis, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

fall short

: to fail to be as good or successful as expected The sequel to my favorite movie fell short.

fall

Kids Definition of fall (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : the act or an instance of going or coming down by the force of gravity a fall from a horse

3 : a thing or quantity that falls a heavy fall of snow

4 : a loss of greatness : downfall the fall of an empire

5 : waterfall —usually used in pl.Niagara Falls

6 : a decrease in size, amount, or value a fall in prices

7 : the distance something falls a fall of three feet

Keep scrolling for more

WORD OF THE DAY

malaise

Listen to the pronunciation of malaise

See Definitions and Examples »

Get Word of the Day daily email!

Test Your Vocabulary

Original Meanings Quiz

Which of the following is the earliest known sense of the word awe?

Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.