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falling 1 of 3

adjective

as in dangling

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falling

2 of 3

noun

as in weakening

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falling

3 of 3

verb

present participle of fall
1
as in stumbling
to go down from an upright position suddenly and involuntarily better sand that walkway before somebody falls on the ice

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2
as in succumbing
to yield to the control or power of enemy forces the city fell after weeks of merciless bombardment

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3
as in plunging
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

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4
as in decreasing
to grow less in scope or intensity especially gradually manufacturing in the area is falling, and closing signs are going up all over

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5
as in descending
to lead or extend downward the lake bottom falls sharply just a few feet from the shoreline, so be careful

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6
as in losing
to undergo defeat not surprisingly, the novice player fell to a much stronger opponent

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7
as in wandering
to commit an offense even saints can fall

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8
as in dying
to stop living if their brave leader falls, the men will lose their courage

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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 falling
Noun
The pair had a dramatic falling out but have since reconciled. — Zac Anderson, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026 Yes, the two men reportedly had a falling out that would keep Harry from the game. — Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 8 June 2026 Garnett, who had a falling out with previous owner Glen Taylor after his career was over, reached an agreement last year with the team to serve as an ambassador. — CBS News, 13 Apr. 2026 The Athletic reported in August that the 47-year-old did not see eye to eye with Forest’s then-head coach Nuno Espirito Santo and there was a falling out that would become the catalyst for the Portuguese coach to leave the club. — David Ornstein, New York Times, 7 Mar. 2026 Perez had a falling out with DeSantis last year over immigration laws and an investigation into the first lady’s favorite charity, Hope Florida. — Jeffrey Schweers, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 Feb. 2026 The chimney partially collapsed, with brick falling on the inside. — Chris Higgins updated January 14, Kansas City Star, 14 Jan. 2026 The school might be dissatisfied with the team’s performance, believe the players no longer listen to the coach, or maybe there’s a falling out between the coach and the athletic director. — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 11 Nov. 2025 Perhaps the most recent and high-profile is the infamous falling out between Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, and the British Royal Family. — Barry Levitt, Time, 16 Sep. 2025
Verb
David, not unlike Jerry, was afraid of falling and white-knuckled his way through. — Victor Garber, Vulture, 17 Sep. 2026 After, tuck yourself into a hammock and gaze up at the stars; you wouldn’t be blamed for falling right asleep. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Sep. 2026 One in every 60 adults in the archipelago of less than a million people are now estimated to have Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) –– bucking a global trend of falling rates of the incurable, but treatable, virus. — Lex Harvey, CNN Money, 16 Sep. 2026 Heading into the pandemic, the value/growth ratio was falling — meaning growth stocks were outperforming — as the purple 2-year/fed funds spread was dropping. — Todd Gordon, CNBC, 16 Sep. 2026 Snow falling upwards, a B-side to the self, two lovers in a one-shot take, that pause before the final chorus. — Literary Hub, 15 Sep. 2026 While a player winning a Championship Series event surely won’t be at much risk of falling outside the top 90, that extra year is a massive incentive. — Brody Miller, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026 The office said his physical therapy was aimed at reducing the risk of him falling again. — Mary Clare Jalonick, Los Angeles Times, 15 Sep. 2026 The key to why scores are falling so widely may be found in an accompanying survey taken by students. — Arkansas Online, 10 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for falling
  1. dangling
  2. weakening
  3. stumbling
  4. succumbing
  5. plunging
  6. decreasing
  7. descending
  8. losing
Adjective
  • Kelly wore a bright orange Roland Mouret midi dress, paired with light brown stiletto heels and matching jewelry, including multiple rings and small dangling earrings.
    — Kayla Grant, PEOPLE, 10 July 2026
  • The three cats quickly get distracted, though, by the dangling, bright lightbulb and string hanging above them.
    — Jordan Moreau, Variety, 11 June 2026
Definition of dangling
Noun
  • The first sign that El Niño is developing is a weakening, or even reversal, of the tropical Pacific trade winds.
    — Steven Paton, The Conversation, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Maximum sustained winds have decreased to around 65 mph with higher gusts, and gradual weakening is forecast during the next few days, according to the hurricane center.
    — Gabe Hauari, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of weakening
Verb
  • Ian informs the sisters that Kylie isn’t merely stumbling into arcane rituals; someone is drawing her to the dark side.
    — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Unlike other festivals, where audiences can be more forgiving, stumbling out of the gate at Venice can prove impossible for a contender to recover from.
    — Nate Jones, Vulture, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of stumbling
Verb
  • The inherent challenge in making films dealing with progressive illness is not succumbing to an inescapably formulaic structure that can’t help but go with the territory.
    — Michael Rechtshaffen, HollywoodReporter, 16 Sep. 2026
  • The stone never does talk to Larry, and Dillard ends that story by succumbing to her faith in the nothingness.
    — Isabel Fattal, The Atlantic, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of succumbing
Verb
  • Zendaya chose a glittering Prada gown bedecked in shimmering crystals with a plunging tulle neckline, along with Mikimoto jewelry, including lavish pearl-and-diamond earrings and two rings from the Petals collection.
    — Meg Walters, InStyle, 19 Sep. 2026
  • ThredUp shares are down more than 60% over the same period, plunging after investors were disappointed with its revenue outlook announced last month.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of plunging
Verb
  • Little brown bats can similarly reduce their metabolic demands by going Dracula for months at a time, decreasing their body temperatures by more than fifty degrees Fahrenheit and slowing their respiration to a handful of breaths an hour.
    — Rivka Galchen, New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2026
  • The steadiest and most widespread coverage of any rain should be early in the day with the coverage decreasing during the afternoon and evening.
    — Rachael Jay, CBS News, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of decreasing
Verb
  • This novel’s narrator is a dog who lives on a farm in a nameless country that is descending into war.
    — The New Yorker, New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2026
  • United Airlines Flight 175, another Boeing 767 aircraft, which departed from Boston, was descending and heading for New York City.
    — Alexandra Skores, CNN Money, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of descending
Verb
  • Losing experienced educators means losing years of knowledge, relationships and expertise that cannot simply be replaced with another name on a classroom roster.
    — Roberto Fernandez III, Sun Sentinel, 20 Sep. 2026
  • Otherwise, every losing party would have an incentive to scour deliberations for something improper.
    — Monu Bedi, Chicago Tribune, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of losing

Browse Nearby Words

fall (in)
falling
falling apart
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Cite this Entry

“Falling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/falling. Accessed 23 Sep. 2026.

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