fall into

phrasal verb

fell into; fallen into; falling into; falls into
1
: to go down quickly into (something)
She fell into the swimming pool.
2
: to pass to (a less active or less desirable state or condition)
This word has fallen into disuse.
His theories have now fallen into disrepute/disfavor.
The machinery has fallen into disrepair.
3
: to belong in (a particular category or range)
His creative output falls into three distinct categories.
4
: to be caught in (a trap)
We fell into a trap.
5
: to begin to do or experience (something) or to be affected by (something) without wanting or trying to
He fell deeply into debt.
She fell into her career almost accidentally.
She fell into the habit of going out for ice cream every night.

Examples of fall into in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web As a result, Sill fell into drugs and married for the second time, in 1966, to a piano player named Bob Harris. Lynsey Eidell, Peoplemag, 13 Apr. 2024 Meredith is afraid her son is going to fall into those same circumstances. Lincee Ray, EW.com, 12 Apr. 2024 The assembly plant in Louisville, Kentucky, produces Escape models that may fall into the latest recall. The Enquirer, 11 Apr. 2024 Hiring and investment crest and fall into a contraction as consumer confidence wanes and spending craters. Talmon Joseph Smith, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2024 But those narratives are rarely true, and most situations fall into a gray area. David Oliver, USA TODAY, 11 Apr. 2024 In truth, the former Apprentice host’s empire has already fallen into a less-than-pristine state. Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 11 Apr. 2024 Yet the administration is squandering these early gains by falling into a familiar trap: prioritizing a short-term thaw with China’s leaders at the expense of a long-term victory over their malevolent strategy. Matt Pottinger, Foreign Affairs, 10 Apr. 2024 China’s massive real estate sector fell into trouble after the government clamped down on excessive borrowing by developers in 2020 in an attempt to cool the property bubble. Diksha Madhok, CNN, 8 Apr. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fall into.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Dictionary Entries Near fall into

Cite this Entry

“Fall into.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fall%20into. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.

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