FALLS (TO) Synonyms: 59 Similar and Opposite Words

falls (to)

verb

present tense third-person singular of fall (to)

as in begins

to take the first step in (a process or course of action) after some refreshments, she fell to working with renewed vigor

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for falls (to)

Verb

Whereas 20 years ago, banks began recruiting for summer interns in the spring, today the process begins two years ahead of time.

— Ryan Craig, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2026
Thirty years later, after his neighbor’s son, Mitch Diller (Aaron Holliday), is involved in a devastating motorcycle crash, Tom begins to believe his brother’s spirit may have returned.

— Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of begins

Verb

With a fury inside him, Garfield unleashes violence against them and commences the rebellion.

— Matt Grobar, Deadline, 16 July 2026
The Genesis Scottish Open commences this week at The Renaissance Club in North Berwick, Scotland, as a significant co-sanctioned DP World Tour and PGA Tour event offering a $9 million purse.

— Zach Schenfisch, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026

Definition of commences

Verb

What starts as harmless tailing quickly evolves into something much more dangerous — Bret’s high-speed pursuit isn’t subtle, and Robert turns the tables on him by pulling over and then tapping Bret’s Mercedes 450SL from behind.

— Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 6 Aug. 2026
That starts with creating a clear connection between your domain, website, social profiles, customer communications and digital experiences.

— Matt Overman, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of starts

Verb

Abel opens the wallet Berkshire Hathaway’s CEO Greg Abel, who took over from Buffett at the start of the year, appears determined to put the record cash hoard amassed by Warren Buffett to work on buybacks and stock purchases.

— Anniek Bao, CNBC, 10 Aug. 2026
This is strong energy for teaching, writing, planning a trip, or sharing a perspective that opens the room.

— Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 9 Aug. 2026

Definition of opens

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.

Browse Nearby Words

falls short (of)

falls (to)

fall (to)

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Falls (to).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/falls%20%28to%29. Accessed 11 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of falls (to)

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

baptism of fire

Popular in Grammar & Usage

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Aug. 7

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

Games & Quizzes