as in dead
no longer living
let's take a moment to remember our fallen comrades
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in stumbled
to go down from an upright position suddenly and involuntarily
better sand that walkway before somebody falls on the ice
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in collapsed
to yield to the control or power of enemy forces
the city fell after weeks of merciless bombardment
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in plunged
to go to a lower level especially abruptly
word soon got out that the movie was no good, and box-office receipts fell like a rock
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in decreased
to grow less in scope or intensity especially gradually
manufacturing in the area is falling, and closing signs are going up all over
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in sunk
to lead or extend downward
the lake bottom falls sharply just a few feet from the shoreline, so be careful
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in lost
to undergo defeat
not surprisingly, the novice player fell to a much stronger opponent
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
7
as in wandered
to commit an offense
even saints can fall
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
8
as in died
to stop living
if their brave leader falls, the men will lose their courage
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of fallen
Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 15 May 2026
There will be a laying of wreaths and flowers for all of the fallen, followed by brief comments.
—Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 May 2026
When a young and charismatic actor arrives to study under the fallen master, an intense triangle of manipulation, desire and performance begins to unfold.
—Leo Barraclough, Variety, 13 May 2026
It had been crowded, competitive, fighting his brothers and sisters to nestle at the center, for the last scraps of flesh, for the fallen fruit.
—Literary Hub, 12 May 2026
Removing fallen leaves and rinsing away dirt prevents excess nutrients from collecting in the water.
—Jessica Safavimehr, Southern Living, 12 May 2026
Getting a pothole repaired, a fallen tree removed, graffiti scrubbed from a building or a number of tasks falling within the purview of the Waukegan Public Works Department recently became easier for city residents.
—Steve Sadin, Chicago Tribune, 11 May 2026
The biggest Karl Anthony-Towns fan is the mother of a fallen Marine.
—Chris Branch, New York Times, 8 May 2026
Israel also drew international criticism after a soldier photographed himself bludgeoning a fallen statue of Jesus on the cross with an ax in southern Lebanon.
—Melanie Lidman, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2026
Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 16 May 2026
By 10 May, seven others had fallen ill.
—The Week Uk, TheWeek, 16 May 2026
Enrollment has fallen since at least 2006, when the state had 578,000 students enrolled.
—Sasha Allen, Hartford Courant, 16 May 2026
According to venture firm SignalFire, new-graduate hiring at the 15 largest tech companies by market cap has fallen by more than 50% since 2019.
—Illia Smoliienko, Forbes.com, 15 May 2026
The holiday honors the men and women who have fallen or been injured in the line of duty, according to National Day Calendar.
—Julia Gomez, USA Today, 15 May 2026
Shares have fallen nearly 7% over the past 12 months.
—Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 15 May 2026
More than 100 people aboard a cruise ship that departed from Fort Lauderdale last month have fallen ill from norovirus, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
—Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 9 May 2026
The Israeli military said explosive drones launched by Hezbollah had fallen within Israeli territory, and one Israeli reservist soldier had been severely injured.
—Mitchell McCluskey, CNN Money, 9 May 2026
Adjective
Kansas City had runners on first and second with none out in the fourth inning when the game was briefly delayed while workers attended to the fallen fan.
—Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 15 May 2026
There will be a laying of wreaths and flowers for all of the fallen, followed by brief comments.
—Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 May 2026
When a young and charismatic actor arrives to study under the fallen master, an intense triangle of manipulation, desire and performance begins to unfold.
—Leo Barraclough, Variety, 13 May 2026
It had been crowded, competitive, fighting his brothers and sisters to nestle at the center, for the last scraps of flesh, for the fallen fruit.
—Literary Hub, 12 May 2026
Removing fallen leaves and rinsing away dirt prevents excess nutrients from collecting in the water.
—Jessica Safavimehr, Southern Living, 12 May 2026
Getting a pothole repaired, a fallen tree removed, graffiti scrubbed from a building or a number of tasks falling within the purview of the Waukegan Public Works Department recently became easier for city residents.
—Steve Sadin, Chicago Tribune, 11 May 2026
The biggest Karl Anthony-Towns fan is the mother of a fallen Marine.
—Chris Branch, New York Times, 8 May 2026
Israel also drew international criticism after a soldier photographed himself bludgeoning a fallen statue of Jesus on the cross with an ax in southern Lebanon.
—Melanie Lidman, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2026
Verb
Shares in Autodesk, which mainly serves industries like construction and architecture, have fallen by almost 20%.
—Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 16 May 2026
By 10 May, seven others had fallen ill.
—The Week Uk, TheWeek, 16 May 2026
Enrollment has fallen since at least 2006, when the state had 578,000 students enrolled.
—Sasha Allen, Hartford Courant, 16 May 2026
According to venture firm SignalFire, new-graduate hiring at the 15 largest tech companies by market cap has fallen by more than 50% since 2019.
—Illia Smoliienko, Forbes.com, 15 May 2026
The holiday honors the men and women who have fallen or been injured in the line of duty, according to National Day Calendar.
—Julia Gomez, USA Today, 15 May 2026
Shares have fallen nearly 7% over the past 12 months.
—Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 15 May 2026
More than 100 people aboard a cruise ship that departed from Fort Lauderdale last month have fallen ill from norovirus, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
—Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 9 May 2026
The Israeli military said explosive drones launched by Hezbollah had fallen within Israeli territory, and one Israeli reservist soldier had been severely injured.
—Mitchell McCluskey, CNN Money, 9 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fallen
Adjective
-
Thinking him either dead or, worse, suicidal, she’d screamed, which inopportunely woke him up.—
Weike Wang,
New Yorker,
17 May 2026
-
Two pedestrians — Jason Negron, 46, and Michael Saint-Hilaire, 35, both of Manhattan — were pronounced dead at the hospital, police said.—
Brittany Miller,
FOXNews.com,
16 May 2026
Verb
-
Investigators suspect 16-year-old Star Grant and a 28-year-old accomplice killed the girl’s parents and grandmother on May 1 – six days before deputies stumbled onto the crime during a May 7 welfare check, the warrant states.—
Mark Price,
Charlotte Observer,
13 May 2026
-
The chain had steady growth in 2024, but seems to have stumbled in California.—
Itzel Luna,
Los Angeles Times,
12 May 2026
Verb
-
At the same time, however, the study documented dimming events including in Ukraine and Gaza as wars unfolded, in Venezuela as the economy collapsed, and in parts of Europe when governments enacted energy conservation mandates following the Russia-Ukraine war.—
Bree Shirvell,
Hartford Courant,
12 May 2026
-
Some officers were killed in the exchange of fire, while others died after part of the building collapsed, according to local police.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
11 May 2026
Verb
-
Halsey wore look 30 from Mishra’s spring 2024 couture collection, a blush-nude tulle gown with tiny beaded straps and a deep V that plunged to the waist.—
Maggie Clancy,
Footwear News,
10 May 2026
-
On May 1, Chinese tariffs on imports from all 53 African countries with which China holds diplomatic relations plunged to zero.—
Steve H. Hanke,
Fortune,
10 May 2026
Verb
-
At an optimal dosage of 10 g/L, the lag phase of hydrogen production decreased by about 50%, and the specific hydrogen yield increased by roughly 33%, according to researchers.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
9 May 2026
-
Wealthy Russians, Ukrainians, and northern Europeans snapped up properties, too—though visitors from the Russian-speaking world have decreased since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war.—
Rebecca Rose,
Travel + Leisure,
9 May 2026
Verb
-
Despite winning a landslide election victory in July 2024, Labour's popularity has sunk and Starmer is getting much of the blame.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
12 May 2026
-
New data from the Commonwealth Fund shows how low Texas healthcare has sunk below national averages on multiple measures.—
Chris Tomlinson,
Houston Chronicle,
7 May 2026
Verb
-
In the same time frame, inner-ring suburbs have lost residents.—
Robert McCoppin,
Chicago Tribune,
14 May 2026
-
Hiba, who was pregnant, temporarily lost consciousness.—
Annie Hylton,
New Yorker,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
Emma Bailey Leary, who manages events for Bart’s Books, the town’s storied outdoor bookshop, wandered in wearing head-to-toe fuchsia.—
Priyanka Mattoo,
Travel + Leisure,
10 May 2026
-
So when Jaden Smith wandered over to sign autographs, Huang handed the reel to him instead.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
8 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fallen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fallen. Accessed 18 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
