fall

play

verb \ ˈfȯl \

Definition of fall

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

intransitive verb

1 a :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

3 a :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 1a

wisdom that fell from his lips

d :to become lowered

her eyes fell

4 a :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

6 a :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 away

The 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

7 a :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

:fell 1

— 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.

See fall defined for English-language learners

See fall defined for kids

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

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.

— scott hamilton, Bloomberg.com, "U.K. Retail Sales Rebound as Heat Wave Boosts Clothing Demand," 20 July 2017
Because of globalization, the number qualifying under the original criteria fell to eight last year.

— paul wiseman, The Seattle Times, "Made-in-USA goods can be pricey and elusive. Just ask Trump," 19 July 2017
The headliners on Indiana’s defense, as fall camp approaches, are still at other levels — Tegray Scales, Marcelino Ball, Jon Crawford, Rashard Fant.

— zach osterman, The Courier-Journal, "Position primer: IU's defensive improvement all starts up front," 19 July 2017
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.

— susan miller degnan, miamiherald, "Remember sorry Temple? UM and improved Owls to reunite," 18 July 2017
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.

— j. weston phippen, The Atlantic, "7 Million Venezuelans Vote Against Maduro in Referendum," 17 July 2017
The National Weather Service estimated up to 1.5 inches of rain fell over the area in an hour.

— CBS News, "New details revealed about Arizona flash flood victims," 17 July 2017
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.

— by libby hanssen, kansascity, "Summerfest impresses with brilliant colors, subtle hues of the 20th century.," 16 July 2017
Chinese municipalities are said to be falling over themselves to be testing grounds for autonomous vehicles.

— The Economist, "The algorithm kingdomChina may match or beat America in AI," 15 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.

Origin and Etymology of fall

Middle English, from Old English feallan; akin to Old High German fallan to fall and perhaps to Lithuanian pulti

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

See Words from the same year

fall Synonyms

Synonyms

slip, stumble, topple, trip, tumble

Antonyms

get up, rise, stand (up), uprise

Related Words

collapse, crumple, drop, flump, keel, plop, plunk (or plonk), slump (over); crash, free-fall, nose-dive, plummet, plunge, precipitate, wipe out; skid, slide

Near Antonyms

buck, defy, fight, oppose, repel, resist, withstand; beat, overcome, win; conquer, prevail, triumph

fall

noun

Definition of fall

1 :the act of falling by the force of gravity

2 a :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

3 a :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

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

5 a :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

6 a :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

8 a :the distance which something falls

b :inclination, pitch

9 a :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

See fall defined for English-language learners

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

Kelly was fully aware that something had to change defensively through the spring and summer if his team was going to find success in the fall, starting with the season opener Saturday at home against Temple.

— todd burlage, The Seattle Times, "New coordinator hoping less is more for Notre Dame defense," 30 Aug. 2017
Over at Georgia Beaton Dress Shop on South Washington, dresses for fall were being sold for between $8.95 and $15.

— sara clarkson, chicagotribune.com, "Clarkson: Dog catcher was to be option for growling Hinsdale in 1942," 30 Aug. 2017
The fall exhibitions run through Dec. 10 featuring a collection of more than 55 works by Midwest artist Frank V. Dudley, who painted the Indiana Dunes for more than 40 years.

— Post-Tribune, "Community news," 30 Aug. 2017
To date this year, Hollywood's domestic box office is off almost 6% from last year, which means the movie industry will need an especially strong fall slate to top last year's record box office performance.

— tom huddleston, Fortune, "Hollywood Is About to Post Its Worst Summer Box Office in Recent Memory," 29 Aug. 2017
Luckily, Double Brush isn't the only Etsy seller with the bright idea to bottle the delicious scent of fall's favorite drink.

— andrea park, Teen Vogue, "Pumpkin Spice Latte Candles Are Now Being Sold on Etsy," 29 Aug. 2017
Coming in fall, dinner Friday and Saturday nights and Sunday brunch.

— jill wendholt silva, kansascity, "New EJ’s Urban Eatery in West Bottoms opens Tuesday: Here’s what’s cooking," 29 Aug. 2017
Bricker is now training with her fall ball team at Champions and will look to fool more high school batters with her southpaw arsenal.

— scott springer, Cincinnati.com, "Clermont Northeastern lefty named to USA Baseball Development Team," 29 Aug. 2017
High School Preview Forms The Courant's preview forms for the fall high school sports season are available at courant.com/sportsforms.

— courant.com, "Regional Digest: UConn Field Hockey Shuts Out Northwestern," 27 Aug. 2017

Origin and Etymology of fall

see ¹fall

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 13th century

See Words from the same year

fall Synonyms

Synonyms

slip, spill, stumble, tumble

Antonyms

ascent, rise, upswing

Related Words

header, pratfall; misstep, trip; descent, dive, plunge, skid, slide; free-fall

Near Antonyms

advancement, development, evolution, growth; blossoming, flourishing, flowering; renewal, restoration, revitalization; heightening; accretion, accrual, addendum, addition, augmentation, boost, enhancement, gain, increase, increment, raise, supplement

Other Calendar Terms

antedate, estival, gloaming, luster, sesquicentennial

fall

adjective

Definition of fall

:of, relating to, or suitable for autumn

a new fall coat

Recent Examples of fall from the Web

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
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
That should put him on track to at least participate somewhat in fall instructional league in September.

— mike berardino, Twin Cities, "Twins lose No. 3 prospect Alex Kirilloff for season to Tommy John surgery," 1 Mar. 2017

Origin and Etymology of fall

see ¹fall

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1677

See Words from the same year

FALL Defined for English Language Learners

fall

play

verb

Definition of fall for English Language Learners

: 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 Defined for Kids

fall

play

verb \ ˈfȯl \

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

:²retreat 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

noun

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

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

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up fall? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show

fall

Definition of fall

Indulge Your Inner Word Nerd

Examples of fall in a Sentence

Recent Examples of fall from the Web

Origin and Etymology of fall

fall Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Related Words

Near Antonyms

fall

Definition of fall

Examples of fall in a Sentence

Recent Examples of fall from the Web

Origin and Etymology of fall

fall Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Related Words

Near Antonyms

Other Calendar Terms

fall

Definition of fall

Recent Examples of fall from the Web

Origin and Etymology of fall

FALL Defined for English Language Learners

fall

Definition of fall for English Language Learners

FALL Defined for Kids

fall

Definition of fall for Students

fall

Definition of fall for Students

Learn More about fall

Seen and Heard

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games

'Meat Sweats': The Competitive Eater's Worst Nightmare

Trending: Kim Jong Un: Trump a 'Dotard'

These Are Fighting Words

Merriam-Webster's New Words Quiz—Fall 2017 Edition!

Words of the Year: 1066