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
Rosa Lyster, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
The greatest damage appeared concentrated in the North Bay, where gusty winds felled numerous trees.
—Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 24 Dec. 2025
Jolene Edgar, Allure, 11 Dec. 2025
Nuclear fusion, a scientific endeavor that would, if it were achieved in a scalable, widely-deployable fashion, solve the energy and climate crises in one fell swoop, receives less funding, annually, than peanut subsidies do in the United States.
—Big Think, 28 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fell
Verb
For about a month, nobody had any idea who had felled the tree, and nobody could work out why it had been done.
—Rosa Lyster, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
The greatest damage appeared concentrated in the North Bay, where gusty winds felled numerous trees.
—Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 24 Dec. 2025
Adjective
In some practices, the standard hip-to-hip tummy tuck is taking a backseat to extended and circumferential versions of the procedure, which sculpt the entire torso in one fell swoop.
—Jolene Edgar, Allure, 11 Dec. 2025
Nuclear fusion, a scientific endeavor that would, if it were achieved in a scalable, widely-deployable fashion, solve the energy and climate crises in one fell swoop, receives less funding, annually, than peanut subsidies do in the United States.
—Big Think, 28 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fell
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fell
Verb
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The storm, a wintry mix of cold rain, sleet and ice, led to road closures, downed poles and trees, and for many, over 24 hours of waiting it out.—
Morayo Ogunbayo,
AJC.com,
27 Jan. 2026
-
The result broke a seven-game win streak for the Ducks, who downed the Calgary Flames 4-3 in overtime on Sunday.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Gene Caballero is a landscaping expert and founder of GreenPal, an on-demand lawn mowing company.—
Nishaa Sharma,
The Spruce,
26 Jan. 2026
-
When one member deployed to Kosovo, the others mowed his family’s grass.—
Paige Williams,
New Yorker,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
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State television reported that Niger's forces responded quickly to the assault early Thursday, killing 20 of the attackers and arresting 11 others.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
31 Jan. 2026
-
Banfield took the stand in his own defense, acknowledging the affair with Peres Magalhães that started in August 2022 but denied any plans to kill his wife.—
Lauren del Valle,
CNN Money,
30 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Thompson’s original death sentence was later overturned, but a jury again sentenced him to die by lethal injection following a new punishment trial in November 2005.—
Michael Sinkewicz,
FOXNews.com,
29 Jan. 2026
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Thompson, 55, was scheduled to receive a lethal injection Wednesday evening at the state penitentiary in Huntsville.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
28 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Sons of Anarchy was praised for its stellar writing, operatic plotting, and cast of actors who breathed vivid life into their characters, giving even the most savage moments a dose of humanity.—
Declan Gallagher,
Entertainment Weekly,
16 Jan. 2026
-
This league is a savage league.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
22 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Panama was the first Latin American country to join the global infrastructure drive in 2017 after dropping diplomatic ties with Taipei.—
Simone McCarthy,
CNN Money,
31 Jan. 2026
-
Also, the cold weather is forecast to get much worse from Sunday, with temperatures dropping even further and making the time frame for a pause in attacks hard to understand.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
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But when a man from Anne’s past returns from war, a curse begins to take shape through a mysterious knight and threatens to destroy them all.—
Jessica Radloff,
Glamour,
1 Feb. 2026
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Plenty of plants were destroyed in the Eaton and Palisades fires, of course, especially highly flammable shrubs like tall, skinny arborvitae.—
Jeanette Marantos,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Martinez and another man were charged in October with assault with a deadly weapon, accused of following the agents' vehicles and initiating the collision with Exum's SUV that led to the shooting on Chicago's south side.—
James Hill,
ABC News,
27 Jan. 2026
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The January 29, 2025, collision was the deadliest commercial aviation accident in the United States in the last 16 years.—
Alexandra Skores,
CNN Money,
27 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fell.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fell. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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