as in to decrease
to grow less in scope or intensity especially gradually
as the years went by, the public's interest in the murder case fell away
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Recent Examples of fall away
Midway through a steep sidehill, with a tough right turn at the bottom, racers had to fight to find the fastest line into a hard right turn as the mountain fell away in the other direction.
—
Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 15 Feb. 2026
As everything around me began to fall away, my mind scattered.
—Adrianne Wright, Fortune, 11 Feb. 2026
Any reservations the guests may have about Melmotte’s background, which was reputed to include shady deals on the European continent, fall away in the presence of his ostentatious displays of wealth.
—John Cassidy, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
Beyond them, the concrete of the 21st century falls away, replaced by creamy pillars and marble paving stretching into the distance, with green hills beyond.
—Maureen O'Hare, CNN Money, 9 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fall away
Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 15 Feb. 2026
As everything around me began to fall away, my mind scattered.
—Adrianne Wright, Fortune, 11 Feb. 2026
Any reservations the guests may have about Melmotte’s background, which was reputed to include shady deals on the European continent, fall away in the presence of his ostentatious displays of wealth.
—John Cassidy, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
Beyond them, the concrete of the 21st century falls away, replaced by creamy pillars and marble paving stretching into the distance, with green hills beyond.
—Maureen O'Hare, CNN Money, 9 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fall away
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fall away
Verb
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Walker said other states have removed the asset calculation and found the error rates have decreased, which means that more federal dollars go toward the SNAP program recipients.—
Alexandra Kukulka,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Feb. 2026
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Robocalls have decreased nationally and in the Chicago area over the past 12 months, in part due to newer federal regulations.—
Megan De Mar,
CBS News,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Extensive research shows that insufficient sleep is associated with impaired cognitive function, chronic health problems, diminished productivity and an increase in traffic accidents, just to name a few.—
Stephen Neely,
The Conversation,
3 Mar. 2026
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One concern is cognitive offloading, in which decision-makers defer too readily to algorithmic recommendations, effectively diminishing human accountability for strategic choices.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
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While a surge in outmigration from the Valley unleashed by the COVID-19 pandemic and remote work has subsided, more residents are still leaving the region than arriving from other parts of the United States.—
Ethan Varian,
Mercury News,
25 Feb. 2026
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Andrii Yalanskyi/Getty Images While recent news showing inflation dropping, unemployment declining and stock market performance roaring are all encouraging for Americans, the reality is that the economic troubles of recent years will take an extended period of time to subside.—
Matt Richardson,
CBS News,
25 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Unlike Israel, Palestinian cities have no warning sirens or bomb shelters, despite the risk of falling debris or errant missiles.—
CLAUDIA CIOBANU,
Arkansas Online,
1 Mar. 2026
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Even if some kilns had continued producing ceramics, the Yuan Dynasty fell in 1368 and the first Ming emperor banned commercial trade around 1371, so even conservative estimates for dating the shipwreck still fall between the late 1320s and 1371, according to the study.—
Issy Ronald,
CNN Money,
28 Feb. 2026
Verb
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As mentioned earlier, Bragg’s office declined to pursue charges of assaulting an officer during an arraignment on Thursday evening.—
Washington Examiner Staff,
The Washington Examiner,
27 Feb. 2026
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Shah Alam was offered the opportunity to make a phone call, but declined, and asked to be taken to the location where he was eventually dropped off, the official said.—
Alisha Ebrahimji,
CNN Money,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
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This spray is designed to help ease your dog's stress by mimicking the calming pheromone that a mother dog releases while nursing her puppies.—
Jessica Moore,
USA Today,
27 Feb. 2026
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The organization also forecasts that housing inventory will increase in 2026 due to steady new construction activity and more homeowners listing properties as mortgage-rate pressures ease.—
Michael Toback,
Miami Herald,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
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After the initial surge following the Tuesday Instagram post upping the reward, the number of calls to the sheriff's department has tapered off, sources said.—
Aaron Katersky,
ABC News,
26 Feb. 2026
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Heavy snow will continue Wednesday in Colorado’s mountains before tapering off overnight, according to the National Weather Service.—
Denver Post,
Denver Post,
26 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fall away.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fall%20away. Accessed 5 Mar. 2026.
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