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
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fell
Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 24 May 2025
Beech and oak logs felled in the Morvan Forest were fastened together and floated along the Yonne, then up the Seine to fuel the fires of the growing population of Paris.
—Rachel Howard, Travel + Leisure, 13 May 2025
Jason Fanelli, Rolling Stone, 14 May 2025
And this Olay moisturizer is formulated with vitamin C to hydrate, nourish, and brighten your complexion in one fell swoop.
—Clara McMahon, People.com, 11 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for fell
Verb
Over roughly a decade, approximately 8,000 giant sequoias — some aged over 2,000 years — were felled using cross-cut saws, axes, steam donkeys and elaborate flume systems that transported logs to distant mills.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 24 May 2025
Beech and oak logs felled in the Morvan Forest were fastened together and floated along the Yonne, then up the Seine to fuel the fires of the growing population of Paris.
—Rachel Howard, Travel + Leisure, 13 May 2025
Adjective
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
And this Olay moisturizer is formulated with vitamin C to hydrate, nourish, and brighten your complexion in one fell swoop.
—Clara McMahon, People.com, 11 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for fell
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fell
Verb
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Many of the trees downed by the storm are usable, according to Johnny Evans, owner of Evens Lumber Co. in Manchester, Tennessee.—
Asher Redd,
FOXNews.com,
29 May 2025
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Russian air defenses downed 296 Ukrainian drones over 13 Russian regions late Tuesday and early Wednesday, Russia's Defense Ministry said, in what appeared to be one of the biggest Ukrainian drone assaults of the war.—
Shane Croucher
John Feng,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 May 2025
Verb
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He is used to mowing his lawn shirtless and in shorts – especially on hotter days – but recently, what seemed like a harmless habit sparked unexpected drama with his neighbors across the street.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
People.com,
7 June 2025
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On that side of the road, the grass was freshly mowed, and greener.—
Erika Hayasaki,
Smithsonian Magazine,
13 May 2025
Verb
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The California Department of Justice will investigate a fatal shooting by Los Angeles Police Department officers under a law that empowers the state attorney general to probe police shootings of unarmed people — despite the LAPD saying the man killed Tuesday was holding a gun.—
Matthew Ormseth,
Los Angeles Times,
6 June 2025
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The latter was killed so the former could live on, though many fans wonder why the better of the two was cancelled while the execrable Rings Of Power was given yet another season.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
5 June 2025
Adjective
-
Stephen Stanko’s attorneys told him that lethal injection would feel like drowning when a lethal dose of pentobarbital is injected into the inmate’s veins and there’s a rush of fluid into the lungs.—
Brie Stimson,
FOXNews.com,
30 May 2025
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However, in the days to come, zoo officials faced mounting criticism for not trying to tranquilize the 17-year-old Western lowland silverback before using lethal force.—
Jillian Frankel,
People.com,
28 May 2025
Adjective
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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
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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
Verb
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And the swing-and-miss rates on all four of Ober’s go-to pitches have dropped substantially compared with 2024.—
Aaron Gleeman,
New York Times,
7 June 2025
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In the final game, the American survived a break point and, after Sabalenka’s backhand return dropped wide, secured her second grand slam title.—
Jamie Barton,
CNN Money,
7 June 2025
Verb
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Aid distributed inside Israeli military zones Gaza’s roughly 2 million Palestinians are almost completely reliant on international aid because nearly all food production capabilities have been destroyed.—
Wafaa Shurafa,
Los Angeles Times,
8 June 2025
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The first move for a mistrial from Combs’ legal team occurred at the end of May, after prosecutors asked Los Angeles Fire Department arson investigator Lance Jimenez if fingerprint evidence related to the bombing of Kid Cudi's car had been destroyed.—
Toria Sheffield,
People.com,
8 June 2025
Adjective
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The only new name in 2025 is Dexter, which replaced Dorian, a deadly and destructive Category 5 hurricane that wreaked havoc in the Bahamas in 2019.—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
31 May 2025
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Rock jetties can be deadly in such conditions, stay off the rocks.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
31 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fell.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fell. Accessed 13 Jun. 2025.
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