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
Marc Weingarten, Los Angeles Times, 22 May 2025
This vignette of administrative chaos exacerbated by mass layoffs will be familiar to any federal employee or contractor whose agency has been felled of late by the whimsical machete of DOGE.
—Jessica Winter, New Yorker, 10 May 2025
Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 15 May 2025
This is the crowd-control class, where one use of the impactor can electrocute an entire group of Hiss in one fell swoop.
—Jason Fanelli, Rolling Stone, 14 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for fell
Verb
The gay artistic community was ravaged, many of its greatest creative geniuses felled by the disease.
—Marc Weingarten, Los Angeles Times, 22 May 2025
This vignette of administrative chaos exacerbated by mass layoffs will be familiar to any federal employee or contractor whose agency has been felled of late by the whimsical machete of DOGE.
—Jessica Winter, New Yorker, 10 May 2025
Adjective
This floor lamp achieves modern, earthy mood lighting in one fell swoop.
—Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 15 May 2025
This is the crowd-control class, where one use of the impactor can electrocute an entire group of Hiss in one fell swoop.
—Jason Fanelli, Rolling Stone, 14 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for fell
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fell
Verb
-
Alexander Bublik captured his first ATP Tour title of the 2025 campaign by downing Daniil Medvedev in straight sets, to claim the Halle Open for a second time in three years.—
Leon Imber,
New York Times,
22 June 2025
-
Wind gusts downed trees and power lines, the reports said.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
21 June 2025
Verb
-
Borrow one from a friend or neighbor to mow your new sod.—
Megan Hughes,
Better Homes & Gardens,
12 June 2025
-
The signature check pattern has been mown into The Newt’s croquet lawn, and spills onto the sun loungers and seating areas.—
Samantha Conti,
Footwear News,
10 June 2025
Verb
-
In the moments after the chase, Rivera was shot and killed by her own partner, authorities have said.—
Sam Charles,
Chicago Tribune,
17 June 2025
-
Some residents cited New Orleans’ resilience during tough times – think Hurricane Katrina or after 14 were killed this year after a man drove a speeding truck into New Year’s Day revelers on Bourbon Street – and took it in stride.—
Chris Kenning,
USA Today,
17 June 2025
Adjective
-
Richard Gerald Jordan, a 79-year-old Vietnam veteran with PTSD, received a lethal injection at the Mississippi State Penitentiary in Parchman.—
Louis Casiano,
FOXNews.com,
25 June 2025
-
Advertisement Build a Check-In Culture Loneliness can be lethal during a heatwave.—
Kathy Baughman McLeod,
Time,
24 June 2025
Adjective
-
The 2023 grand marshal is former Arizona Democratic congresswoman Gabby Giffords, gravely wounded in a savage mass shooting in 2011 that also killed six people.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Dec. 2022
-
As savage Arctic cold was getting ready to surge south across North America, vivid imagery based on data from weather models showed us what was going to happen.—
Tom Yulsman,
Discover Magazine,
27 Dec. 2022
Verb
-
Deployed further forwards, Elliott still dropped deep to try and influence proceedings but struggled to produce the final pass alongside his fellow attackers.—
Andy Jones,
New York Times,
19 June 2025
-
After Meta’s $19 billion acquisition in 2014, WhatsApp dropped its $0.99 annual subscription fee but promised to keep the app free of third-party ads and spam.—
Anisha Sircar,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2025
Verb
-
But the conflict has only escalated, with Russia’s launching some of its most extensive strikes in a war that has claimed hundreds of thousands of casualties, and Ukraine’s carrying out the audacious Operation Spiderweb drone attack, which damaged or destroyed strategic aircraft inside Russia.—
Adam Rasmi,
Time,
20 June 2025
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To destroy the site, an attack would have to come in waves, with bombers releasing one after another down the same hole.—
Samuel Granados,
New York Times,
20 June 2025
Adjective
-
Days before Trump ordered the drone strike that killed him, Soleimani had orchestrated a deadly attack on a U.S. base in Iraq.—
Michael Ruiz,
FOXNews.com,
24 June 2025
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Since Israel launched its Gaza offensive in the wake of Hamas' deadly October 2023 attack, the country has faced war crimes accusations from United Nations officials and human rights groups.—
Micah McCartney,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fell.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fell. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.
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