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to suddenly go down onto the ground or towards the ground without intending to or by accident:
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.
I fell down the stairs and injured my back.
The object appeared to have fallen from a great height.
The water's deep here, so don't fall in!
She slipped and fell on the ice.
He fell into the river and had to be rescued.
I fell off my bike and scraped my knee.
He was leaning out of the window and almost fell out.
She fell under a bus and was killed instantly.
She fell five metres to the bottom of the ravine.
He fell to his death climbing the Matterhorn.
Poor Kathy fell flat on her face in the mud.
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to become lower in size, amount, or strength:
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.
The temperature could fall below zero overnight.
Average temperatures fell by ten degrees.
The pound has fallen to its lowest-ever level against the dollar.
When the teacher walked in, the children's voices fell to a whisper (= they became very quiet).
Share prices fell sharply this week.
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2
to come down onto the ground or from a high position to a lower position:
The snow had been falling steadily all day.
It was October and the leaves had started to fall.
She fell into bed, completely exhausted.
A bomb fell on the church and destroyed it.
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).
The people all fell to their knees and began to pray.
The audience was still laughing as the curtain fell.
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3
to belong to a particular group, subject, or area:
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4
to change to a particular condition from a different one:
He always falls asleep after drinking red wine.
She suddenly fell ill.
The book fell open (= opened by chance) at a picture of Venice.
The president has fallen strangely silent on the issue of gun control.
UK Your rent falls due (= must be paid) on the first of the month.
Silence fell on the group of men (= they became silent) as they received the news.
She fell under the influence of (= began to be influenced by) an older student.
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5
to be beaten or defeated:
The president fell from power during the military coup.
UK The government finally fell after losing the support of the centre parties.
Rome fell to the Vandals in AD 455.
UK The constituency fell to Labour at the last election, after ten years of Conservative rule.
Many brave men fell in the fight to save the city.
During the war, he saw many of his comrades fall in battle.
Ten wickets fell in 22 overs.
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6
to come at a particular time or happen in a particular place:
Easter falls late this year.
My birthday will fall on a Friday this year.
Night/Darkness had fallen by the time we got back to the camp.
In the word "table", the accent falls on the first syllable.
The Treasury has still not decided where the cuts will fall.
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7
to hang down loosely:
The boy's hair fell around his shoulders in golden curls.
The veil fell almost to her waist.
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If your face falls, you suddenly look unhappy or disappointed, and if your spirits fall, you suddenly feel unhappy or disappointed:
His spirits fell when he saw the distance he still had to go.
As she read her exam results, her face fell.
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9
the fact of the size, amount, or strength of something getting lower:
a fall in the price of petrol/the unemployment rate
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.
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10
the season after summer and before winter, when fruits and crops become ready to eat and the leaves fall off the trees:
I'm starting college in the fall.
Next fall we'll be back in New York.
a fall day/morning
fall colours/foliage
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11
the act of falling down to the ground, usually without intending to or by accident:
He had/took a nasty fall and hurt his back.
the fall of the Berlin Wall (= when the Berlin Wall was destroyed)
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12
an amount of something that moves down onto the ground or from a higher position to a lower position:
a heavy fall of snow
Niagara Falls
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13
the fact of being defeated or losing your power:
the fall of Rome
The army took control of the city after the president's fall from power.
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(of people and animals) to move unintentionally or unexpectedly onto or toward the ground from a higher place:
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).
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15
to move down toward or drop to a lower position:
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.
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to become less or lower in size, amount, or strength:
Stock prices fell sharply in late March and early April.
Her blood sugar levels fell below normal.
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used to show a change from one state to another:
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to be defeated or fail:
The city fell to the enemy.
The statue honors soldiers who fell in battle.
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to happen at a particular time:
My birthday falls on a Friday this year.
By the time we got home, night had fallen (= begun).
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to belong to a particular group, or to be part of a particular subject:
Archaeology falls under the general subject of natural history.
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(of hair or cloth) to hang down loosely:
Her long, dark hair fell to her waist.
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22
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:
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23
the act of moving onto or toward the ground or to a lower position, often unintentionally or accidentally:
She injured herself in a fall.
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24
a defeat or loss of power:
the fall of the Roman Empire
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25
to become lower in size, amount, or strength:
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26
to become lower in value, amount, or level:
House prices began to fall rapidly.
Demand for new cars has fallen by over 40%.
Stock prices fell sharply yesterday.
Public sector salaries are expected to fall even further as the recession continues to bite.
Inflation has fallen to its lowest level in 30 years.
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27
to gradually get to be in a worse condition or state:
The factory had fallen into disuse in recent years.
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if a payment falls due at a particular time, it must be paid at that time:
The rent falls due on the first day of the month.
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29
a reduction in the amount or level of something:
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.
A further fall of 2% in property prices could seriously hamper economic recovery.
The corporation reported a sharp fall in quarterly profits.
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30
a situation in which someone or something that has been successful fails:
The documentary charts the rise and fall of America's third largest car company.
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31
a situation in which someone who was popular, successful, etc. suddenly becomes unsuccessful, unpopular, etc.