1
as in to down
to strike (someone) so forcefully as to cause a fall
a champion boxer who was shockingly felled in the first round
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in to mow
to bring down by cutting
the settlers began the daunting task of felling the mighty trees that blanketed the island
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in to kill
to deprive of life
the quest for a cure for malaria, the disease that felled so many during the digging of the Panama Canal
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in lethal
likely to cause or capable of causing death
planning for the distribution of resources in case of some fell event
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in savage
violently unfriendly or aggressive in disposition
a once-mighty nation conquered by a fell and barbarous enemy
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fell
Christopher Elliott, Forbes.com, 17 May 2026
For centuries, these historic ships, with timber masts soaring 50 feet high, have been built from trees felled in forests on the edge of town.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 15 May 2026
Julia Morlino, Travel + Leisure, 3 Apr. 2026
Last season, Breslow made a franchise-altering trade in sending Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants in an effort to recalibrate the clubhouse dynamics and the franchise’s finances in one fell swoop.
—Jen McCaffrey, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fell
Verb
The timbers came from trees felled by Cyclone Pam, the Category 5 storm that flattened much of Vanuatu in 2015.
—Christopher Elliott, Forbes.com, 17 May 2026
For centuries, these historic ships, with timber masts soaring 50 feet high, have been built from trees felled in forests on the edge of town.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 15 May 2026
Adjective
Master the carry-on and personal item combo in one fell swoop with this Delsey Paris set at a steep $300-off price.
—Julia Morlino, Travel + Leisure, 3 Apr. 2026
Last season, Breslow made a franchise-altering trade in sending Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants in an effort to recalibrate the clubhouse dynamics and the franchise’s finances in one fell swoop.
—Jen McCaffrey, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fell
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fell
Verb
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Ukraine has retained roughly the same interception rates for drones as before the recent escalation, downing around 90% of them each month and using electronic warfare to divert some munitions away from populated areas.—
Lauren Kent,
CNN Money,
4 June 2026
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Russia’s Defense Ministry said that air defenses downed 354 Ukrainian drones overnight.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
3 June 2026
Verb
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One was from a neighbor sick of mowing her double lot, another from a couple of ardent gardeners whose failing health kept them inside.—
The Washington Post,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
30 May 2026
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And when manually mowing tall stuff, the bumper can be too sensitive for my bull-in-a-China-shop tastes.—
Joe Salas
May 29,
New Atlas,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
In recent months security forces have killed a string of top Maoists and the rank-and-file are laying down their weapons.—
Dhruv Tikekar,
CNN Money,
30 May 2026
-
At the same time that the GKN situation was unraveling, the rupture of a chemical tank containing a different chemical mixture killed 11 people at a paper mill in Washington state.—
Jason Henry,
Oc Register,
30 May 2026
Adjective
-
Hurricane Andrew — the lethal 1992 storm that almost always gets invoked as a cautionary tale — struck during a relatively quiet year and though fierce, was puny by comparison.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
3 June 2026
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Throughout the game, players can create distractions and temporarily scare off the dinosaurs using non-lethal weaponry.—
Payton Turkeltaub,
Variety,
3 June 2026
Adjective
-
Their twiggy legs and bony frames exposed in bathing suits, the kids do indeed look extra vulnerable within the film’s savage landscape.—
Beatrice Loayza,
Variety,
25 May 2026
-
Sure, sci-fi can be bleak — there's no end to the cosmic horrors and savage alien races that game developers can conjure up — but that almost always comes as a result of humanity's success in space.—
Ian Stokes,
Space.com,
24 May 2026
Verb
-
Rays speedster Chandler Simpson dropped down a bunt and rushed the Angels into an error.—
Jeff Fletcher,
Oc Register,
30 May 2026
-
However, the anticipated state finals clash was not to be as Calabasas dropped the baton in the Southern Section finals and failed to advance.—
Steve Galluzzo,
Los Angeles Times,
30 May 2026
Verb
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Fueled by large stocks of critically dry vegetation and extreme winds, the fires killed 31 people, destroyed nearly 12,000 homes, and forced over 150,000 evacuations.—
Doyle Rice,
USA Today,
31 May 2026
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But satellite images reviewed by CNN show how Iran has used simple equipment such as bulldozers and dump trucks to counter those costly campaigns — suggesting that Tehran’s missile capabilities can’t be destroyed just by targeting tunnel entrances, experts said.—
Tamara Qiblawi,
CNN Money,
31 May 2026
Adjective
-
Kyiv, Ukraine — Russia launched a large-scale deadly attack on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv early Tuesday, damaging residential buildings, authorities said, as part of a broad offensive on targets across Ukraine.—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
2 June 2026
-
High levels of rotavirus, a potentially deadly virus, have been detected in wastewater in the Boise area, testing shows.—
Hali Smith
June 1,
Idaho Statesman,
1 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fell.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fell. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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