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
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fell
Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2025
The original rat killer Published April 25, 2007 With one quick flick of his wrist, Scott Mellanby felled a rodent and became part of South Florida sports lore.
—Jeff Kleinman, Miami Herald, 3 June 2025
Nashia Baker, Architectural Digest, 13 June 2025
That has changed, as Metallica scores dozens of new honors from the music industry organization, and in one fell swoop, the band proves once again just how massively popular its back catalog remains.
—Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 30 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for fell
Verb
The man is accused of felling trees near 1550 W 8 Street at 3:40 p.m. Friday; near 350 S Grand Avenue at 1:22 a.m. Saturday; and near 300 Treadwell Street at unknown time, police said.
—Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2025
The original rat killer Published April 25, 2007 With one quick flick of his wrist, Scott Mellanby felled a rodent and became part of South Florida sports lore.
—Jeff Kleinman, Miami Herald, 3 June 2025
Adjective
Additionally, stores like Saatva include free white-glove delivery to set up the mattress in your home and remove an old mattress in one fell swoop.
—Nashia Baker, Architectural Digest, 13 June 2025
That has changed, as Metallica scores dozens of new honors from the music industry organization, and in one fell swoop, the band proves once again just how massively popular its back catalog remains.
—Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 30 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for fell
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fell
Verb
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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
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Wind gusts downed trees and power lines, the reports said.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
21 June 2025
Verb
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The foil-shaving head mows everything down to a smooth finish, while the trimmer can keep things as long as 11mm.—
Adam Hurly,
Robb Report,
26 June 2025
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By Jackie Valley Staff writer | Altadena, Calif. Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... Daniel Quiroz spent a recent Saturday morning mowing the yard of his uninhabitable house.—
Melanie Stetson Freeman,
Christian Science Monitor,
20 June 2025
Verb
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Gaza’s Health Ministry on Sunday said that another 88 people have been killed by Israeli fire over the past 24 hours, raising the war’s toll among Palestinians to 56,500.—
Tia Goldenberg,
Chicago Tribune,
29 June 2025
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One Cambodian soldier was killed in a relatively small, contested area.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
29 June 2025
Adjective
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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
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Advertisement Build a Check-In Culture Loneliness can be lethal during a heatwave.—
Kathy Baughman McLeod,
Time,
24 June 2025
Adjective
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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
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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
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After a decade of steady global growth, Tesla’s sales have stalled over the past year, dropping 13% in the first quarter.—
Alan Ohnsman,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
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Barry Morphew was initially charged with the murder of Suzanne Morphew in 2021, but those charges were dropped after prosecutorial misconduct.—
Adam Sabes,
FOXNews.com,
1 July 2025
Verb
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In September 2024, the same month as the pager attack and assassination of Hezbollah’s leader, Israel launched the most extensive campaign of airstrikes in the air force’s history hitherto, destroying much of Hezbollah’s strategic surface-to-surface missile stockpiles.—
Paul Iddon,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
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As rumors swirl and her life collapses, Eva faces a choice: protect herself or expose Amir’s secret and risk destroying him.—
Leo Barraclough,
Variety,
30 June 2025
Adjective
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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 8 Jul. 2025.
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