as in altercation
an often noisy or angry expression of differing opinions
the two friends have been lonely and miserable since they had a falling-out
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in bickering
to express different opinions about something often angrily
club members were soon falling out about how to spend the money they'd made washing cars
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in proving
to come to be
I had planned to have a sports career, but things fell out otherwise
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of falling-out
Martha Ross, Mercury News, 7 Jan. 2026
Greene has had a public falling-out with Trump over the last few months.
—Tara Suter, The Hill, 28 Dec. 2025
Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 30 Apr. 2026
The Lakers were cooked, the playoff magic finally drained from a team without its two leading scorers, a team in the process of making every conceivable mistake, reality bouncing off their feet and ricocheting off their hips and falling out of their hands.
—Los Angeles Times, 25 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for falling-out
Noun
Online sleuths noted that Duff and Moore recently unfollowed Tisdale on Instagram, sparking more speculation about reasons for a falling-out, as TMZ reported.
—Martha Ross, Mercury News, 7 Jan. 2026
Greene has had a public falling-out with Trump over the last few months.
—Tara Suter, The Hill, 28 Dec. 2025
Verb
Alvarado’s playing time against the Hawks came at the expense of the slumping Landry Shamet, who played 18 minutes in Game 1 and 10 in Game 2 before falling out of the primary rotation.
—Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 30 Apr. 2026
The Lakers were cooked, the playoff magic finally drained from a team without its two leading scorers, a team in the process of making every conceivable mistake, reality bouncing off their feet and ricocheting off their hips and falling out of their hands.
—Los Angeles Times, 25 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for falling-out
Recent Examples of Synonyms for falling-out
Noun
-
At 20, he was arrested after a routine traffic stop turned into a violent altercation with police.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
-
The altercation between Avdija and Castle put an end to a frustrating day for the Trail Blazers, who lost Game 4 by 21 points after holding a 17-point lead at halftime.—
The Athletic NBA Staff,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The two get to bickering about her terrible track record, with Dennis hilariously failing to realize that this accusation includes him among the questionable men.—
Ile-Ife Okantah,
Vulture,
27 Apr. 2026
-
For those of us interested in governing and not bickering, this is a good thing.—
Gail Slater,
Rolling Stone,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The Chicago Cubs are one step closer to proving that Wrigley View Rooftop is breaking the law by selling access to a rooftop building where fans can watch Cubs games in person without actually paying the Cubs.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
4 May 2026
-
Los Angeles ultimately regrouped in plenty of time to win its second straight World Series, but the Dodgers are again proving fallible at a time when the Padres are scuffling.—
Jeff Sanders,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
4 May 2026
Noun
-
That same month, Browne found himself in a public quarrel with fellow Caribbean leader, Kamla Persad-Bissessar of Trinidad and Tobago.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
1 May 2026
-
As the quarrel turned physical, the woman pushed Smith to the ground, witnesses told police.—
Rocco Parascandola,
New York Daily News,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
After fighting valiantly to ward off injury, the horse was euthanized in 2007, his courageous battle forever remembered at Churchill Downs, where his statue stands outside of Gate 1.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
9 May 2026
-
Moscow's troops have been fighting in Ukraine for well over four years - longer than the Soviet involvement, from 1941-45, in what Russians refer to as the Great Patriotic War.—
Guy Faulconbridge,
USA Today,
9 May 2026
Verb
-
Now, there’s more nuance, and not just noise, coming out of halftime studio shows.—
Candace Buckner,
New York Times,
4 May 2026
-
And the same goes for Shane and Tires, or Nick Kroll has a new show coming out, or Michelle Buteau.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
4 May 2026
Noun
-
When Magyar emerged as an opposition figure, their disputes became a recurring story in the tabloids.—
Andrew Marantz,
New Yorker,
9 May 2026
-
The dispute, which has spanned three mayoral administrations going back to at least 2021, has now hit a breaking point.—
Verónica Egui Brito,
Miami Herald,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
Prosecutors, meanwhile, have emphasized the importance of transparency, arguing that allowing cameras in the courtroom helps counter misinformation and ensures public trust in the proceedings.—
Adam Sabes , Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
8 May 2026
-
Dong wrote articles arguing for constitutional democracy, political reform and transparency in politics — views allowed to circulate freely in the past that are now taboo in China.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
8 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Falling-out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/falling-out. Accessed 11 May. 2026.
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