26984 words

fall

40 definitions • 105 examples
1
to suddenly go down onto the ground or towards the ground without intending to or by accident:

Examples:

The path's very steep, so be careful you don't fall.
He fell badly and broke his leg.
Athletes have to learn how to fall without hurting themselves.
The horse fell at the first fence.
fall down I fell down the stairs and injured my back.
fall from The object appeared to have fallen from a great height.
fall in The water's deep here, so don't fall in!
fall on She slipped and fell on the ice.
fall into He fell into the river and had to be rescued.
fall off I fell off my bike and scraped my knee.
fall out He was leaning out of the window and almost fell out.
fall under UK She fell under a bus and was killed instantly.
fall to She fell five metres to the bottom of the ravine.
fall to your death He fell to his death climbing the Matterhorn.
2
to fall and land with your face down:

Examples:

Poor Kathy fell flat on her face in the mud.
3

Examples:

Demand for new cars has fallen due to the recession.
The standard of his work has fallen during the year.
Salaries in the public sector are expected to fall by 15 percent this year.
fall below The temperature could fall below zero overnight.
fall to The pound has fallen to its lowest-ever level against the dollar.
fall to a whisper When the teacher walked in, the children's voices fell to a whisper (= they became very quiet).
4
to come down onto the ground or from a high position to a lower position:

Examples:

The snow had been falling steadily all day.
It was October and the leaves had started to fall.
fall into She fell into bed, completely exhausted.
fall on A bomb fell on the church and destroyed it.
fall to A huge meteor fell to Earth in the middle of the desert.
He begged for mercy as the blows fell on him (= as he was being hit).
5
to go down on your knees to show respect or gratitude:

Examples:

The people all fell to their knees and began to pray.
6
When the curtain falls in the theatre, it comes down because the play or performance has ended:

Examples:

The audience was still laughing as the curtain fell.
7

Examples:

fall into The material falls into three categories.
fall outside Matters of discipline fall outside my area of responsibility.
8
to change to a particular condition from a different one:

Examples:

fall asleep He always falls asleep after drinking red wine.
fall ill She suddenly fell ill.
fall sick So many children fell sick that the school had to be closed for a week.
fall open The book fell open (= opened by chance) at a picture of Venice.
fall silent She fell silent for a moment and I saw she was watching someone outside.
fall due Your rent falls due (= must be paid) on the first of the month.
silence falls Silence fell on the group of men (= they became silent) as they received the news.
fall under She fell under the influence of (= began to be influenced by) an older student.
9
to be beaten or defeated:

Examples:

fall from power The president fell from power during the military coup.
10
If a place falls in a war or an election, an enemy army or a different political party gets control of it:

Examples:

fall to Rome fell to the Vandals in AD 455.
UK The constituency fell to Labour at the last election, after ten years of Conservative rule.
11
If soldiers fall while fighting, they are killed:

Examples:

Many brave men fell in the fight to save the city.
fall in battle During the war, he saw many of his comrades fall in battle.
12
In cricket, when a wicket falls, the turn of the player who is hitting the ball ends:

Examples:

Ten wickets fell in 22 overs.
13
to come at a particular time or happen in a particular place:

Examples:

Easter falls late this year.
fall on My birthday will fall on a Friday this year.
night falls Night had fallen by the time we got back to the camp.
darkness falls The soldiers marched for several hours and then rested in a wooded area until darkness fell.
In the word "table", the accent falls on the first syllable.
The Treasury has still not decided where the cuts will fall.
14
to hang down loosely:

Examples:

fall around The boy's hair fell around his shoulders in golden curls.
fall to The veil fell almost to her waist.
15
If your face falls, you suddenly look unhappy or disappointed:

Examples:

His face fell when he saw the distance he still had to go.
16
the fact of the size, amount, or strength of something getting lower:

Examples:

fall in a fall in the price of petrol/the unemployment rate
rise and fall We could hear the rise and fall of voices in the other room.
There was a fall in support for the party at the last election.
17
the season after summer and before winter, when fruits and crops become ready to eat and the leaves fall off the trees:

Examples:

in the fall I'm starting college in the fall.
next fall Next fall we'll be back in New York.
a fall day/morning
18
the act of falling down to the ground, usually without intending to or by accident:

Examples:

have a fall mainly UK He had a nasty fall and hurt his back.
take a fall A few years ago, she took a fall, and her doctor prescribed strong painkillers.
the fall of the Berlin Wall (= when the Berlin Wall was destroyed)
19
an amount of something that moves down onto the ground or from a higher position to a lower position:

Examples:

a heavy fall of snow
20
often used in place names to mean a very wide waterfall, often made of many separate waterfalls:

Examples:

21
the fact of being defeated or losing your power:

Examples:

the fall of Rome
fall from The army took control of the city after the president's fall from power.
22
(of people and animals) to move unintentionally or unexpectedly onto or toward the ground from a higher place:

Examples:

He fell and hurt his arm.
Don’t fall over, honey!
I fell down the stairs.
She fell off the top of the ladder.
Kathy tripped and fell (flat) on her face (= fell facing the ground).
23
to move down toward or drop to a lower position:

Examples:

They expect three inches of snow to fall tonight.
Tears rolled down her cheeks and fell into her lap.
Plaster was falling off the walls.
25
used to show a change from one state to another:

Examples:

26
to be defeated or fail:

Examples:

The city fell to the enemy.
27
If soldiers fall, they die:

Examples:

28
to happen at a particular time:

Examples:

My birthday falls on a Friday this year.
By the time we got home, night had fallen (= begun).
29
to belong to a particular group, or to be part of a particular subject:

Examples:

Archaeology falls under the general subject of natural history.
30
(of hair or cloth) to hang down loosely:

Examples:

Her long, dark hair fell to her waist.
31
the season of the year between summer and winter, lasting from September to December north of the equator and from March to June south of the equator, when fruits and crops finish growing and the leaves fall off the trees:

Examples:

[ U ] Fall is my favorite time of year.
[ U ] She wants to take a vacation before fall classes start.
32
the act of moving onto or toward the ground or to a lower position, often unintentionally or accidentally:

Examples:

She injured herself in a fall.
33
a defeat or loss of power:

Examples:

the fall of the Roman Empire
34

Examples:

a fall in temperature
35
to become lower in value, amount, or level:

Examples:

House prices began to fall rapidly.
Demand for new cars has fallen by over 40%.
Inflation has fallen to its lowest level in 30 years.
36
to gradually get to be in a worse condition or state:

Examples:

The factory had fallen into disuse in recent years.
37
if a payment falls due at a particular time, it must be paid at that time:

Examples:

The rent falls due on the first day of the month.
38
a reduction in the amount or level of something:

Examples:

a fall in sth There are serious concerns about the fall in the value of the dollar.
The FTSE 100 slumped 116 points on the back of a 160-point fall overnight on the Dow Jones.
39
a situation in which someone or something that has been successful fails:

Examples:

The documentary charts the rise and fall of America's third largest car company.
40
a situation in which someone who was popular, successful, etc. suddenly becomes unsuccessful, unpopular, etc.

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