1
as in stumbles
to go down from an upright position suddenly and involuntarily
better sand that walkway before somebody falls on the ice
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in succumbs
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 plunges
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 decreases
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 descends
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 loses
to undergo defeat
not surprisingly, the novice player fell to a much stronger opponent
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
7
as in wanders
to commit an offense
even saints can fall
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
8
as in dies
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 falls
Sian Babish, PEOPLE, 24 May 2026
Chevrolet and Honda provide one of the race’s defining rivalries, but by the time the green flag falls, a driver’s starting position may matter even more than the badge on the engine cover.
—Giovanni Malloy, Forbes.com, 23 May 2026
That makes for fast-flying balls and high bounce, which can quickly become slower, lower and sludgier if clouds appear or rain falls — on the outside courts.
—Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 23 May 2026
And that’s why—but that doesn’t make sense because the money falls from the ceiling.
—Glenn Garner, Deadline, 16 May 2026
Final thoughts For context, my backyard sky falls somewhere between 7 and 8 on the Bortle scale, a nine-level system used by astronomers to classify the brightness of the night sky and the impact of light pollution.
—Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 15 May 2026
Standing before a bionic face that still falls short of the lifelike standard the company is chasing, Gao says there’s work to be done before these robots can truly feel human.
—Mithil Aggarwal, NBC news, 15 May 2026
At the same time, Berlin falls for Candela, a skilled street thief who joins the operation.
—Isabella Wandermurem, Time, 15 May 2026
Nothing much really happens in this movie after Philip’s initial arrest, but the world viscerally shudders under Lucy’s feet every time one of her husband’s alibis falls apart.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 15 May 2026
Christopher Bonanos, Curbed, 22 May 2026
Exercising your feet can help strengthen and protect your body from falls.
—Mallory Creveling, Health, 15 May 2026
Officials told McElroy to take a top bunk bed, the complaint says, in violation of a policy saying pregnant inmates should be assigned bottom bunks to prevent injuries and falls.
—Abigail Brooks, NBC news, 13 May 2026
This secures your baby at the shoulders, waist and between the legs, preventing falls.
—ABC News, 12 May 2026
Another contributing factor involved complications following harmful events as well as patient falls and injuries.
—Daniel I. Dorfman, Chicago Tribune, 11 May 2026
Místico and Titan defeated Angel de Oro and Barbaro Cavernario in a two-out-of-three falls match in the main event.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 11 May 2026
Light blue to violet flowers appear in late spring, marked with white falls and often, crested with a yellow frill.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 10 May 2026
Preventing head injury − including wearing a helmet for biking and sports, wearing a seatbelt and preventing falls − can keep your brain healthier in the long-run, the organization notes.
—Sara Moniuszko, USA Today, 27 Apr. 2026
Verb
Depending on your height, this dress’s hemline falls anywhere between the lower thigh and below the knee.
—Sian Babish, PEOPLE, 24 May 2026
Chevrolet and Honda provide one of the race’s defining rivalries, but by the time the green flag falls, a driver’s starting position may matter even more than the badge on the engine cover.
—Giovanni Malloy, Forbes.com, 23 May 2026
That makes for fast-flying balls and high bounce, which can quickly become slower, lower and sludgier if clouds appear or rain falls — on the outside courts.
—Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 23 May 2026
And that’s why—but that doesn’t make sense because the money falls from the ceiling.
—Glenn Garner, Deadline, 16 May 2026
Final thoughts For context, my backyard sky falls somewhere between 7 and 8 on the Bortle scale, a nine-level system used by astronomers to classify the brightness of the night sky and the impact of light pollution.
—Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 15 May 2026
Standing before a bionic face that still falls short of the lifelike standard the company is chasing, Gao says there’s work to be done before these robots can truly feel human.
—Mithil Aggarwal, NBC news, 15 May 2026
At the same time, Berlin falls for Candela, a skilled street thief who joins the operation.
—Isabella Wandermurem, Time, 15 May 2026
Nothing much really happens in this movie after Philip’s initial arrest, but the world viscerally shudders under Lucy’s feet every time one of her husband’s alibis falls apart.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 15 May 2026
Noun
Historically, most of the high drama involving the city’s network of manholes has involved not falls but explosions.
—Christopher Bonanos, Curbed, 22 May 2026
Exercising your feet can help strengthen and protect your body from falls.
—Mallory Creveling, Health, 15 May 2026
Officials told McElroy to take a top bunk bed, the complaint says, in violation of a policy saying pregnant inmates should be assigned bottom bunks to prevent injuries and falls.
—Abigail Brooks, NBC news, 13 May 2026
This secures your baby at the shoulders, waist and between the legs, preventing falls.
—ABC News, 12 May 2026
Another contributing factor involved complications following harmful events as well as patient falls and injuries.
—Daniel I. Dorfman, Chicago Tribune, 11 May 2026
Místico and Titan defeated Angel de Oro and Barbaro Cavernario in a two-out-of-three falls match in the main event.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 11 May 2026
Light blue to violet flowers appear in late spring, marked with white falls and often, crested with a yellow frill.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 10 May 2026
Preventing head injury − including wearing a helmet for biking and sports, wearing a seatbelt and preventing falls − can keep your brain healthier in the long-run, the organization notes.
—Sara Moniuszko, USA Today, 27 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for falls
Verb
-
Set during the summer of 1975, Sessa stars as a 19-year-old Bourdain who travels to Provincetown and stumbles into the chaotic world of a restaurant kitchen.—
Marc Malkin,
Variety,
15 May 2026
-
After an embarrassing encounter — Wells, working as a janitor, stumbles upon Graham naked in the locker room — the two make an arrangement.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
In the May 10 episode of Marshals, Kayce (Luke Grimes) and Cal (Logan Marshall-Green) lose another of their former Navy SEAL teammates, as Garrett (Riley Green) succumbs to his injuries from a fire.—
Julia Moore,
PEOPLE,
11 May 2026
-
Inspired by a drawing made by his nephew, the work unfolds as a sequence of panels in which the titular child, Julian, succumbs to illness.—
Emilie Hardman,
JSTOR Daily,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
Subjected to an ancient ritual, her return plunges the family into a terrifying nightmare.—
Tim Lammers,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
-
The main channel seen in the images measures about 6 miles (10 kilometers) wide and plunges roughly 1,640 feet (500 meters) deep.—
Samantha Mathewson,
Space.com,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
As the storm moves away, this likelihood decreases.—
KANSAS CITY STAR WEATHER BOT,
Kansas City Star,
19 May 2026
-
As the storm moves away, this likelihood decreases.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
Coppola’s Vietnam epic alongside Schlöndorff’s surreal story about a child who refuses to grow up as Europe descends into madness.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
16 May 2026
-
In the film, biotechnology professor Se-jeong, played by Jun, attends an industry conference that descends into chaos after a rapidly mutating virus is released.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
12 May 2026
Verb
-
The deeper the water, the sooner a vehicle loses traction on the road.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
22 May 2026
-
He’s thrown off, however, when Nora loses her cool at the discovery that their young, feisty daughter Ida (Tawba El Gharchi) has posted a video on social media of the trio dancing in the livestock stable.—
Beatrice Loayza,
Variety,
22 May 2026
Verb
-
His daughter yelps delightedly as a calf wanders close to the fence.—
Greg O'Keeffe,
New York Times,
16 May 2026
-
In the ensuing panic, Jesus (Bilal Hasna) wanders off down to Earth and is befriended by a former street hustler named Harry the Fish (Mark Addy).—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
Here’s what experts say ‘Survivor’s penalty’ can affect retirees after a spouse dies.—
Charlotte Morabito,
CNBC,
23 May 2026
-
Death Doesn’t Cancel Income Tax Obligations or Debts One common misconception is that tax problems disappear when someone dies.—
Kelly Phillips Erb,
Forbes.com,
23 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Falls.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/falls. Accessed 24 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
