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
Rania Abouzeid, New Yorker, 5 Mar. 2026
Too many people, particularly those in my age group, have been felled by a cold that morphed into pneumonia, or a UTI that landed them in the hospital, or a simple stumble on a floor mat that resulted in surgery and months of physical therapy.
—Donna Vickroy, Chicago Tribune, 27 Feb. 2026
Allie Garfinkle, Fortune, 31 Jan. 2026
Sometimes, the agentic web even does entire multi-task jobs for you in one fell swoop.
—John Koetsier, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fell
Verb
Apartment buildings were felled by air strikes, and smoke billowed from the blasts; the buzz of Israeli drones filled the air.
—Rania Abouzeid, New Yorker, 5 Mar. 2026
Too many people, particularly those in my age group, have been felled by a cold that morphed into pneumonia, or a UTI that landed them in the hospital, or a simple stumble on a floor mat that resulted in surgery and months of physical therapy.
—Donna Vickroy, Chicago Tribune, 27 Feb. 2026
Adjective
In 2018, Hamid and Fushman instituted a new scout fund precisely to solve this problem, hastening the decision process at Kleiner from weeks to days in one fell swoop.
—Allie Garfinkle, Fortune, 31 Jan. 2026
Sometimes, the agentic web even does entire multi-task jobs for you in one fell swoop.
—John Koetsier, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fell
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fell
Verb
-
Faith Christian topples All Saints Grapevine Faith Christian got 3 hits, including an inside-the-park home run, from Michaela Hamilton as the Lions downed Fort Worth All Saints 5-2 in a TAPPS Division II District 1 contest on Monday.—
Darren Lauber,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Report downed power lines to the police.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The grass is freshly mowed, the dirt and chalk lines finely groomed.—
Michael McGough,
Sacbee.com,
26 Mar. 2026
-
The commission agreed to allow Earthrise to mow the property only once between May and October, rather than five times as required by statute, as the company said more mowings could negatively affect native pollinators and habitats.—
Olivia Stevens,
Chicago Tribune,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
And years later, when the group splintered into increasingly militant factions, some took part in a disastrous bank robbery that killed an innocent guard and two police officers—three men who were just doing their jobs that day, and who left behind their own kids, their own families.—
Zayd Ayers Dohrn,
New Yorker,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Three people were killed when a tour helicopter broke apart near Honolulu in April 2019, and that December seven people died - including three children - when one crashed in turbulent weather near the famed Na Pali Coast.—
JENNIFER SINCO KELLEHER,
CBS News,
28 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
If an individual’s core temperature stays above 104 degrees Fahrenheit for more than 30 minutes, the result can be lethal.—
Brad Stulberg,
Outside,
25 Mar. 2026
-
At Blackburn Rovers, Shearer was lethal, scoring more than 30 league goals in three successive campaigns.—
The Athletic UK Staff,
New York Times,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The loss of books is minor, almost trivial, in light of all the horrors and violence unleashed by this senseless war, but the potential loss of these books is a sad reminder that we’re all affected and implicated in America’s savage flailings.—
James Folta,
Literary Hub,
17 Mar. 2026
-
Conan O'Brien hit almost every note on Sunday — savage, playful, heartfelt and dumb.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Trains, buses and the Metrorail will drop fans off at the Miami Intermodal Center, which is adjacent to Miami International Airport and across the street from the stadium grounds.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
28 Mar. 2026
-
While temperatures will drop significantly, precipitation totals are expected to remain limited in key drought areas.—
Doyle Rice,
USA Today,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Later, a fire at Hall’s grandmother’s house would destroy most of his magic act.—
Vinson Cunningham,
New Yorker,
29 Mar. 2026
-
This time around, in that first wave of strikes on February 28, American cruise missiles targeted and destroyed a building that ended up being a girls’ school—killing more than 168 young children who had just started their day of classes.—
Connor Okeeffe,
Oc Register,
29 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
State inspectors had never once visited the Esparto facility before the deadly blast; that responsibility fell only to local authorities, until now.—
Ashley Sharp,
CBS News,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Are all fungi dangerous or deadly?—
Brandi D. Addison,
USA Today,
30 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fell.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fell. Accessed 31 Mar. 2026.
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