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 sense 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
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
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
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
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 on the Web
Robinson started this past Saturday, when the team fell 2-1 in a physical, testy battle against Germany in its final send-off match before the Americans’ first group-stage game.
—Jim Sciutto, CNN Money, 8 June 2026
Debris also fell from other buildings, hitting tricycle taxis parked below.
—Los Angeles Times, 8 June 2026
At Los Angeles International Airport — which is fewer than 5 miles from SoFi Stadium — international passenger traffic fell more than 2% in the first four months of the year.
—Pat Maio, Daily News, 7 June 2026
At the onset of the 1990s, the Berlin wall had fallen, and the USSR had broken up.
—Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 7 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for fall
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Jim Sciutto, CNN Money, 8 June 2026
Debris also fell from other buildings, hitting tricycle taxis parked below.
—Los Angeles Times, 8 June 2026
At Los Angeles International Airport — which is fewer than 5 miles from SoFi Stadium — international passenger traffic fell more than 2% in the first four months of the year.
—Pat Maio, Daily News, 7 June 2026
At the onset of the 1990s, the Berlin wall had fallen, and the USSR had broken up.
—Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 7 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for fall
Cite this Entry
“Fall.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fall. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
fall
1 of 2 verb1
a
: to come or go down freely by the force of gravity
b
: to hang freely
hair falling over her shoulders
c
: to drop oneself to a lower position
fell to their knees
d
: to come as if by dropping down
night fell
2
a
: to become of lower degree or level
the temperature fell 10°
b
: to become lowered
his eyes fell
3
a
: to topple from an upright position suddenly
slipped and fell on the ice
b
: to enter blindly : stray
fell into a trap
c
: to drop down wounded or dead
soldiers who have fallen in battle
d
: to become captured or defeated
the fortress fell
e
: to experience ruin or failure
our plans fell through
4
: to fail to live up to a standard of conduct
5
a
: to move or extend downward
the ground falls away to the east
b
: to become less in amount or degree : diminish
the tide is falling
c
: to become less in quality, activity, quantity, or value
prices fell
d
: to take on a look of shame or low spirits
my face fell when I lost
6
a
: to occur at a certain time
my birthday falls on a Tuesday
b
: to come by chance
c
: to pass (as a responsibility) from one person to another
it fell to us to break the news
d
: to have the proper place or station
the accent falls on the second syllable
7
: to come within the range of something
falls under her responsibilities
8
: to pass from one condition of body or mind to another
fall ill
fall asleep
9
: to set about with enthusiasm or activity
fell to work
fall
2 of 2 noun1
: the act of falling by the force of gravity
a fall from a horse
2
a
: a falling out, off, or away
the fall of the leaves
b
c
: a thing or quantity that falls or has fallen
a heavy fall of snow
3
a
: loss of greatness : collapse
b
: the surrender or capture of a place under attack
c
: departure from innocence or goodness
4
a
: the downward slope of a hill
b
: waterfall
—usually used in plural
5
: a decrease in size, quantity, degree, activity, or value
6
: the distance which something falls
7
: an act of forcing a wrestler's shoulders to the mat
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