as in to happen
to take place
whatever befalls, we'll make the best of it and carry on
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Recent Examples of befall
Of course, this is all assuming that the Buccaneers actually release Sanders, and given the wave of injuries that has befallen their secondary, that is no sure thing.
—
Matthew Schmidt, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Aug. 2025
Minutes later, tragedy befell the beloved grandmother.
—Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 16 Aug. 2025
Another tragedy befalls Oscar Van Rhijn, Agnes's only child, in season three.
—Sam Reed, Glamour, 11 Aug. 2025
Perhaps the Gulf rulers see such transactions as a form of insurance—a way to avoid the kind of hardship that befell Qatar during Trump’s first Administration.
—David D. Kirkpatrick, New Yorker, 11 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for befall
Matthew Schmidt, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Aug. 2025
Minutes later, tragedy befell the beloved grandmother.
—Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 16 Aug. 2025
Another tragedy befalls Oscar Van Rhijn, Agnes's only child, in season three.
—Sam Reed, Glamour, 11 Aug. 2025
Perhaps the Gulf rulers see such transactions as a form of insurance—a way to avoid the kind of hardship that befell Qatar during Trump’s first Administration.
—David D. Kirkpatrick, New Yorker, 11 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for befall
Recent Examples of Synonyms for befall
Verb
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The other end of the spectrum are breaks that happen when a single application of force is applied to the bone.—
Bruce Y. Lee,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
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What is happening with auto loan defaults?—
Betty Lin-Fisher,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Newsweek/Esri/Flightradar24 Turkish Airlines Emergency Landing After Pilot Death Another recent high-profile diversion occurred in October, when a Turkish Airlines flight made an emergency landing after one of the pilots died.—
Shane Croucher
John Feng,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Sep. 2025
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These stages can occur over months or even years, though contracting measles in early infancy can result in a more rapidly evolving disease.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
12 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Befall.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/befall. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.
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