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
Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Apr. 2025
The storm felled trees and powerlines alike, leaving more than 15,000 households still without power late Monday morning, according to NIPSCO.
—Post-Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 31 Mar. 2025
Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 9 Apr. 2025
If both came together in one fell swoop, Djokovic would probably retire a very happy man.
—Tim Ellis, Forbes.com, 8 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fell
Verb
Their research concluded that the timbers used to build the lodge were felled in the winter of 1561-1562, placing its construction during the earlier years of the reign of Elizabeth I, who ruled England between 1558 and 1603.
—Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Apr. 2025
The storm felled trees and powerlines alike, leaving more than 15,000 households still without power late Monday morning, according to NIPSCO.
—Post-Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 31 Mar. 2025
Adjective
These classic vacuums are known for their huge dust bin capacities—ideal for cleaning the whole house in one fell swoop—as well as their powerful suction technology.
—Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 9 Apr. 2025
If both came together in one fell swoop, Djokovic would probably retire a very happy man.
—Tim Ellis, Forbes.com, 8 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fell
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fell
Verb
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British retail giant Marks & Spencer has been hit by a cyberattack that's downed its online payments for five days, with a ransomware group known as Scattered Spider reportedly linked to the hack.—
Thomas Brewster,
Forbes.com,
29 Apr. 2025
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But as the damage fades and the years march on, toppled trees and downed branches create gaps in the canopy that let light penetrate to the forest floor.—
Marina Wang,
Smithsonian Magazine,
18 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Eufy officially claims the E18 can mow for 90 to 110 minutes and cover about 1,076 to 1,614 square feet (or 100 to 150 square meters) on a single charge, which seems accurate (if not low) based on my testing.—
Tyler Hayes,
PC Magazine,
10 May 2025
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Main Street turns into a different kind of valley, one that funnels them into a line straight toward the four men holding flame throwers, ready to mow them down.—
Sara Netzley,
EW.com,
21 Apr. 2025
Verb
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After a preliminary investigation, authorities determined the father fatally stabbed his sons and wife before killing himself.—
Natalie Neysa Alund,
USA Today,
13 May 2025
-
The plan to kill Commanders and save the girls, however, was aborted when June and Moira’s undercover mission for the Mayday resistance group led to them killing a Guardian (a Gilead soldier).—
Jackie Strause,
HollywoodReporter,
12 May 2025
Adjective
-
The serial killer sat on death row for 14 years before execution by lethal injection on May 10, 1994, at age 52.—
Andrew Nodell,
People.com,
9 May 2025
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South Carolina allows condemned inmates to choose whether to die by lethal injection, electric chair or firing squad.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
8 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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Officers then turned her over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents for a deportation hearing, although police later dropped the traffic charges against her, according to local media reports.—
Trevor Hughes,
USA Today,
15 May 2025
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That’s because, when long-term rates drop, mREITs’ existing loans become more valuable because new loans pay less.—
Brett Owens,
Forbes.com,
14 May 2025
Verb
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An embarrassing, humbling, shocking Game 5 defeat showed that. All the same problems, the ones that destroyed Leaf team after Leaf team and ultimately ended Sheldon Keefe’s time as head coach, are emerging again at the worst possible time.—
Jonas Siegel,
New York Times,
15 May 2025
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In order to retrieve the original source code of the Entity and destroy it, Hunt has to risk life and limb and dive into icy arctic waters to a sunken Soviet submarine teetering 500 feet underwater.—
Anne Thompson,
IndieWire,
15 May 2025
Adjective
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Hurricanes Beryl and Milton were also deadly, each killing more than 40 people in the United States.—
Phaedra Trethan,
USA Today,
3 May 2025
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The deadly dismantling of a global public-health infrastructure.—
Jia Tolentino,
New Yorker,
3 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fell.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fell. Accessed 22 May. 2025.
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