Definition of fall
fell
play \ˈfel\;fallen
play \ˈfȯ-lən\;falling
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 shouldersc : to drop oneself to a lower position fell to his kneesd : 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 whisperc : issue 1a, b wisdom that fell from his lipsd : to become lowered her eyes fell
4a : to leave an erect position suddenly and involuntarily slipped and fell on the iceb : 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 felle : to lose office the party fell from powerf : 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 eastb : subside, abate the wind is fallingc : to decline in quality, activity, or quantity production fell offd : to lose weight —used with off or away The cattle have fallen off badly in the drought.e : to assume a look of shame, disappointment, or dejection his face fellf : to decline in financial value or price stocks fell sharply
7a : to occur at a certain time her birthday falls on a Monday this yearb : to come by chance a job that fell into his handsc : to come or pass by lot, assignment, or inheritance : devolve it fell to him to break the newsd : 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
fall all over oneself
orfall over oneself
orfall over backward
fall apart
fall behind
fall between two stools
fall flat
fall for
fall from grace
fall home
fall into line
fall on
orfall upon
fall on one's face
fall on one's sword
fall short
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Examples of fall in a Sentence
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.
Recent Examples of fall from the Web
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Average store prices excluding fuel, which were falling as recently as November, rose by 2.5 percent in the year through June as the fall in the pound drives up the cost of imports.
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Because of globalization, the number qualifying under the original criteria fell to eight last year.
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The headliners on Indiana’s defense, as fall camp approaches, are still at other levels — Tegray Scales, Marcelino Ball, Jon Crawford, Rashard Fant.
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Last year, Temple finished 10-4, winning the East Division of the AAC and the conference title before falling to the ACC’s Wake Forest in the Military Bowl.
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Oil revenue accounts for about 95 percent of the country’s export revenues, and after oil prices dropped Venezuela fell into ruin, with inflation rising so high that basic food staples and medicine are hard to come by.
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The National Weather Service estimated up to 1.5 inches of rain fell over the area in an hour.
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Though the setting was established by piano and the rising excitement of ascending line and increased dynamic and tension, all that fell away for the spare and subtle duo segment of violin and cello, in a most beautiful moment.
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Chinese municipalities are said to be falling over themselves to be testing grounds for autonomous vehicles.
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.
Origin and Etymology of fall
Middle English, from Old English feallan; akin to Old High German fallan to fall and perhaps to Lithuanian pulti
fall
Definition of fall
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 snowb : the season when leaves fall from trees : autumnc : 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 togetherd (1) : birth (2) : the quantity born —usually used of lambs
3a : a costume decoration of lace or thin fabric arranged to hang loosely and gracefullyb : a very wide turned-down collar worn in the 17th centuryc : the part of a turnover collar from the crease to the outer edged : a wide front flap on trousers (such as those worn by sailors)e : the freely hanging lower edge of the skirt of a coatf : one of the three outer and often drooping segments of the flower of an irisg : long hair overhanging the face of dogs of some breedsh : 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 Empireb : the surrender or capture of a besieged place the fall of Troyc : lapse or departure from innocence or goodnessd : loss of a woman's chastitye : the blame for a failure or misdeed took the fall for the robbery
6a : the downward slope (as of a hill) : declivityb : a precipitous descent of water : waterfall —usually used in plural but singular or plural in constructionc : a musical cadenced : a falling-pitch intonation in speech
7 : a decrease in size, quantity, degree, or value
8a : the distance which something fallsb : inclination, pitch
Examples of fall in a Sentence
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 of fall from the Web
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With a once-every-five-years Communist Party congress coming up in the fall, President Xi Jinping and his political allies don’t want to make more enemies of powerful businessmen, many of whom are already angry at China’s anti-corruption drive.
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Plans for transferring students between the county's public schools to alleviate crowding and rebalance enrollment starting in the fall of 2018 are coming into clearer focus.
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The better months for hiking the trails are in the spring and fall, say authorities.
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With iOS 11, coming this fall, this $329 model shows the best promise for turning your iPad into a computer.
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As the barriers of cost and time fall, what is liberated is the imagination of synthetic biologists, who are able to rapidly try out ideas.
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In its 27th year, CEO and founder Joe Fisher said the nonprofit this month celebrated a record-breaking 200 high school graduates who will be the first generation in their families to attend college this fall.
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Born on the Cayman Islands, Harrison, who will be a junior at Poway High in the fall, now travels to distant countries to continue her career in beach volleyball.
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Harris, who has been dancing with the company since 2005, will be entering her senior year at Burbank High School in the fall.
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.
Origin and Etymology of fall
see 1fall
Other Calendar Terms
fall
Definition of fall
: of, relating to, or suitable for autumn a new fall coat
Origin and Etymology of fall
see 1fall
FALL Defined for English Language Learners
fall
playDefinition of fall for English Language Learners
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: to come or go down quickly from a high place or position
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: to come or go down suddenly from a standing position
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: to let yourself come or go down to a lower position
FALL Defined for Kids
Definition of fall for Students
fell
\ˈfel\;fallen
\ˈfȯ-lən\;falling
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
fall short
Definition of fall for Students
1 : the act or an instance of going or coming down by the force of gravity a fall from a horse
2 : autumn
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
Learn More about fall
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See words that rhyme with fall Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for fall Spanish Central: Translation of fall Nglish: Translation of fall for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of fall for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about fall
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