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5.13
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fall verb [ fɔːl ]

• move from a higher to a lower level, typically rapidly and without control.
• "five inches of snow fell through the night"
Similar: drop, drop down, plummet, descend, come down, go down, plunge, sink, dive, nosedive, tumble, pitch, cascade, gravitate,
Opposite: rise,
• (of a person) lose one's balance and collapse.
• "he stumbled, tripped, and fell"
Similar: topple over, tumble over, keel over, fall down, fall over, go head over heels, go end over end, fall headlong, go headlong, collapse, fall in a heap, take a spill, pitch forward, trip, trip over, stumble, stagger, slip, slide, cowp, come a cropper, go for six, measure one's length,
Opposite: get up,
• decrease in number, amount, intensity, or quality.
• "imports fell by 12 per cent"
Similar: decrease, decline, diminish, fall off, drop off, go down, grow less, lessen, dwindle, plummet, plunge, slump, sink, depreciate, decrease in value, lose value, decline in price, cheapen, devalue, hit the floor, go through the floor, nosedive, take a nosedive, take a header, go into a tailspin, crash, go downhill,
Opposite: rise, increase,
• be captured or defeated.
• "the besieged city fell after three months"
Similar: surrender, yield, submit, give in, give up, give way, capitulate, succumb, be overthrown by, be taken by, be defeated by, be conquered by, be overcome by, be overwhelmed by, lose one's position to, pass into the hands of, fall victim to,
Opposite: resist,
• pass into a specified state, situation, or position.
• "she fell pregnant"
Similar: become, come/get to be, grow, get, turn, doze off, drop off, go to sleep, nod off, go off, drift off, crash, crash out, flake out, conk out, go out like a light, sack out, zone out,
Opposite: stay awake, wake up,

fall noun

• an act of falling or collapsing.
• "his mother had a fall as she alighted from a train"
Similar: tumble, trip, spill, topple, stumble, slip, collapse, nosedive, header, cropper,
• a thing which falls or has fallen.
• "in October came the first fall of snow"
• a decrease in size, number, rate, or level.
• "a big fall in unemployment"
Similar: decline, fall-off, drop, dropping off, decrease, cut, lessening, lowering, dip, diminishing, dwindling, reduction, plummet, plunge, slump, deterioration, downswing, nosedive, crash, let-up,
Opposite: increase,
• a defeat or downfall.
Similar: downfall, ruin, ruination, collapse, failure, decline, deterioration, degeneration, destruction, overthrow, demise, surrender, surrendering, capitulation, yielding, giving in, submission, acquiescence, succumbing, resignation, laying down of arms, defeat,
Opposite: rise,
• autumn.
• "that fall Roosevelt was elected to his first term"
• a flock of woodcock.
• "there is a fall of woodcock in the round wood above the dell"
Origin: Old English fallan, feallan, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch vallen and German fallen ; the noun is partly from the verb, partly from Old Norse fall ‘downfall, sin’.

be riding for a fall

• be acting in a reckless way that is likely to end in trouble or disaster.
"with your present attitude, you're riding for a fall"

fall foul of

• come into conflict with.
"one of his songs has fallen foul of censorship regulations"

fall in line

• conform with others.
"she defiantly pledges not to fall into line with the masses"

fall into place

• (of a series of events or facts) begin to make sense.
"once he knew what to look for, the theory fell quickly into place"

fall short

• fail to meet an expectation or standard.
"the total vote fell short of the required two-thirds majority"

fall to pieces

• break up, come apart, or disintegrate.
"we have an elderly fleet that is virtually falling to pieces"

take the fall

• incur blame or punishment in the place of another person.
"he kept his mouth shut and let McFarlane take the fall"

fall away

• gradually decrease in number, amount, intensity, or quality.
"the trees began to fall away to shrubby growth"

fall about

• laugh uncontrollably.
"audiences used to fall about when he shrugged his shoulders"

fall apart

• break up, come apart, or disintegrate.
"their marriage is likely to fall apart"

fall back

• move or turn back; retreat.
"the enemy fell back into a defensive position"

fall back on

• have recourse to something when in difficulty.
"they normally fell back on one of three arguments"

fall behind

• fail to keep up with one's competitors.
"Britain has fallen behind in the space business"

fall down

• (of a person) lose one's balance and collapse.
"she fell down at school today"

fall for

• be captivated by or fall in love with someone.
"she fell for a handsome younger man"

fall in

• take one's place in a line or formation.
"the soldiers fell in by the side of the road"

fall into

• pass into a specified state, situation, or position.
"many of the buildings fell into disrepair"

fall in with

• meet someone by chance and become involved with them.
"he fell in with thieves"

fall off

• become detached and drop to the ground.
"my sunglasses fell off and broke on the pavement"

fall on

• attack someone fiercely or unexpectedly.
"the army fell on the besiegers"

fall out

• (of the hair, teeth, etc.) become detached and drop out.
"the chemotherapy made my hair fall out"

fall over

• (of a person) lose one's balance and collapse.
"I felt so dizzy that I fell over"

fall through

• come to nothing; fail.
"the project fell through due to lack of money"

fall to

• (of a task) become the duty or responsibility of someone.
"it fell to me to write to Shephard"

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