1
as in downs
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 mows
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 destroys
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
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fells
Verb
-
Greene downs it, throws the kid his jersey, smiles, and all is right with the world.—
Debby Wolfinsohn,
Entertainment Weekly,
8 Feb. 2026 -
But Sarah Graves gives a bit too much room and Penn downs a 3-pointeron the wing.—
Zoe Collins Rath,
Austin American Statesman,
30 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Those who are approved will receive a total of 18 free lawn mows from April through October, a set number each month, with no further scheduling or calls needed, according to an email from the city.—
Aurora Beacon-News,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Feb. 2026
-
With its 5Ah battery, the Goat mows over 5,000 square feet per charge and gets back to work after just 45 minutes of charging.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
4 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
The extreme heat kills the plant tissue immediately and typically destroys the roots of many weed species.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Kansas City Star,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Intrigued, the Duke secretly seduces Gilda, breaks her heart and destroys Rigoletto’s life.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
22 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The find helps explain water’s odd behavior and its unusual properties, including the reason ice cubes float and how liquid water expands as its temperature drops below 39 degrees Fahrenheit (four degrees Celsius).—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Once the radiation density drops sufficiently, matter becomes dominant, with the matter density then dominating the cosmic expansion rate.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
He's not known for his power plays or penalty kills, but he is known for making friend and keeping them.—
John Lauritsen,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Everyone knows what happens — believing Juliet to be dead, Romeo takes actual poison and kills himself, causing Juliet to stab herself to death after waking up next to her lover’s lifeless corpse.—
Ellise Shafer,
Variety,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
On a day when balls were not leaving the yard and hits to the warning track were rare, the Cubs still thrived.—
Jeff Vorva,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Trash truck hits a resident’s vehicle – $47,000 The Board of Estimates approved a $47,000 settlement for Donald Stepp after a Department of Public Works trash truck struck his vehicle on Dundalk Avenue in February 2023.—
Chevall Pryce,
Baltimore Sun,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Shortly after becoming husband and wife, Grace milks another loophole in the hide-and-seek rulebook and slays Titus, thereby sending the rest of the High Council to slaughter at the hands of their demonic overlord, Le Bail.—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
23 Mar. 2026
-
Teyana Taylor slays in red at an event in Las Vegas, while Hudson Williams smiles for the cameras at Men's Fashion Week in Milan.—
Toria Sheffield,
PEOPLE,
18 Jan. 2026
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Cite this Entry
“Fells.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fells. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
