as in dangling
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as in weakening
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Dissimilar Words
1
as in stumbling
to go down from an upright position suddenly and involuntarily
better sand that walkway before somebody falls on the ice
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in succumbing
to yield to the control or power of enemy forces
the city fell after weeks of merciless bombardment
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in plunging
to go to a lower level especially abruptly
word soon got out that the movie was no good, and box-office receipts fell like a rock
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in decreasing
to grow less in scope or intensity especially gradually
manufacturing in the area is falling, and closing signs are going up all over
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in descending
to lead or extend downward
the lake bottom falls sharply just a few feet from the shoreline, so be careful
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6
as in losing
to undergo defeat
not surprisingly, the novice player fell to a much stronger opponent
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7
as in wandering
to commit an offense
even saints can fall
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8
as in dying
to stop living
if their brave leader falls, the men will lose their courage
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of falling
Dejanay Booth-Singleton, CBS News, 18 Mar. 2026
The Athletic reported in August that the 47-year-old did not see eye to eye with Forest’s then-head coach Nuno Espirito Santo and there was a falling out that would become the catalyst for the Portuguese coach to leave the club.
—David Ornstein, New York Times, 7 Mar. 2026
Perez had a falling out with DeSantis last year over immigration laws and an investigation into the first lady’s favorite charity, Hope Florida.
—Jeffrey Schweers, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 Feb. 2026
The chimney partially collapsed, with brick falling on the inside.
—Chris Higgins
updated January 14, Kansas City Star, 14 Jan. 2026
And this really culminated in a dramatic falling out between Musk and the president.
—Dana Taylor, USA Today, 1 Dec. 2025
The school might be dissatisfied with the team’s performance, believe the players no longer listen to the coach, or maybe there’s a falling out between the coach and the athletic director.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 11 Nov. 2025
Perhaps the most recent and high-profile is the infamous falling out between Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, and the British Royal Family.
—Barry Levitt, Time, 16 Sep. 2025
The two men became friends, or at least acquaintances, in the late 1980s and had a falling out in 2004.
—W. James Antle Iii, The Washington Examiner, 4 Sep. 2025
Ca Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 1 Apr. 2026
All of this comes at a time when the market has greater appetite for larger scale deals, despite Lauder’s falling stock price.
—Kathryn Hopkins, Footwear News, 31 Mar. 2026
In an episode in 2020, her co-host at the time, Ryan Seacrest, leaned a little too far back in his chair and ended up falling completely out of his seat.
—Lori A Bashian, FOXNews.com, 31 Mar. 2026
This can have an impact on falling (and staying) asleep, as well as sleep quality.
—Desireé Oostland, Vogue, 31 Mar. 2026
Sources describe the project as falling somewhere between a high-concept modern rom-com and a female buddy comedy.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 31 Mar. 2026
Violent crime rates were falling well before the surge, in line with national trends.
—Cleve R. Wootson Jr. The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 25 Mar. 2026
Swiss stocks show resilience By contrast, UBS said Swiss equities offer less exposure to energy disruptions at an attractive valuation point after falling more than 10% since the start of the conflict.
—Joseph Wilkins, CNBC, 25 Mar. 2026
While some of the weapons were intercepted, falling cluster munitions and debris from interceptions caused damage to residential buildings and left at least nine people wounded, two of them seriously, according to military and medical officials.
—CBS News, 24 Mar. 2026
Noun
During a court hearing, police said there was a falling out between Paljusevic and the victim after Paljusevic wasn't invited to a private viewing of the man's father, who had died in January 2025.
—Dejanay Booth-Singleton, CBS News, 18 Mar. 2026
The Athletic reported in August that the 47-year-old did not see eye to eye with Forest’s then-head coach Nuno Espirito Santo and there was a falling out that would become the catalyst for the Portuguese coach to leave the club.
—David Ornstein, New York Times, 7 Mar. 2026
Perez had a falling out with DeSantis last year over immigration laws and an investigation into the first lady’s favorite charity, Hope Florida.
—Jeffrey Schweers, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 Feb. 2026
The chimney partially collapsed, with brick falling on the inside.
—Chris Higgins
updated January 14, Kansas City Star, 14 Jan. 2026
And this really culminated in a dramatic falling out between Musk and the president.
—Dana Taylor, USA Today, 1 Dec. 2025
The school might be dissatisfied with the team’s performance, believe the players no longer listen to the coach, or maybe there’s a falling out between the coach and the athletic director.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 11 Nov. 2025
Perhaps the most recent and high-profile is the infamous falling out between Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, and the British Royal Family.
—Barry Levitt, Time, 16 Sep. 2025
The two men became friends, or at least acquaintances, in the late 1980s and had a falling out in 2004.
—W. James Antle Iii, The Washington Examiner, 4 Sep. 2025
Verb
Try to find a place that will block blowing or falling debris.
—Ca Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 1 Apr. 2026
All of this comes at a time when the market has greater appetite for larger scale deals, despite Lauder’s falling stock price.
—Kathryn Hopkins, Footwear News, 31 Mar. 2026
In an episode in 2020, her co-host at the time, Ryan Seacrest, leaned a little too far back in his chair and ended up falling completely out of his seat.
—Lori A Bashian, FOXNews.com, 31 Mar. 2026
This can have an impact on falling (and staying) asleep, as well as sleep quality.
—Desireé Oostland, Vogue, 31 Mar. 2026
Sources describe the project as falling somewhere between a high-concept modern rom-com and a female buddy comedy.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 31 Mar. 2026
Violent crime rates were falling well before the surge, in line with national trends.
—Cleve R. Wootson Jr. The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 25 Mar. 2026
Swiss stocks show resilience By contrast, UBS said Swiss equities offer less exposure to energy disruptions at an attractive valuation point after falling more than 10% since the start of the conflict.
—Joseph Wilkins, CNBC, 25 Mar. 2026
While some of the weapons were intercepted, falling cluster munitions and debris from interceptions caused damage to residential buildings and left at least nine people wounded, two of them seriously, according to military and medical officials.
—CBS News, 24 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for falling
Adjective
-
While the design here is emphatically traditional, a dose of modern whimsy comes through with a dangling, multi-floor chandelier loosely inspired by jellyfish.—
Tori Latham,
Robb Report,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Cernan, the junior pilot, was outside, dangling—actually spinning, tumbling, and flailing—at the end of a long umbilical cord, completely unable to control his movements.—
Jeffrey Kluger,
Time,
11 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Other human rights groups warn of a weakening of legal protections.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Higher energy prices are also expected to widen India’s current account deficit, which has contributed to a weakening of the local currency, with the rupee touching record lows in recent days.—
Priyanka Salve,
CNBC,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Occasionally, King’s assistants, a pair of bulky guys with law-enforcement backgrounds, offered the stumbling line a corrective shove.—
Charles Bethea,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
-
The Ducks started their trip up five points on Connor McDavid and company, but held just a three-point edge after stumbling 4-2 on Saturday.—
Andrew Knoll,
Oc Register,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
And the bumbling nature of Lesgate, with Jones playing the internal conflicts sharply, comes with succumbing to the horrid nature of what money can bring.—
David John Chávez,
Mercury News,
27 Mar. 2026
-
In a dramatic departure from the novels, Kay and Dorothy’s father died in an armed robbery, rather than succumbing to leukemia.—
Max Gao,
HollywoodReporter,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Continue reading … HIKING HORROR — Woman dies after plunging from 60-foot cliff at popular national park.—
,
FOXNews.com,
31 Mar. 2026
-
This winter, the New York metro area also endured one of its longest stretches of extreme cold in eight to 10 years, with wind chills plunging below zero and prompting warnings for frostbite and hypothermia risk, according to meteorologists and NWS alerts.—
Anna Commander,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Consumers can also look for savings at home by decreasing energy costs—for instance, by keeping the air conditioner at a higher temperature.—
Austin Carter,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Rather than decreasing the volume of betting, this restriction weakens legal operators by removing the clearest signals consumers have about which platforms are regulated and safe.—
Cláudia Nunes,
The Orlando Sentinel,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Video from the rescue shows the helicopter descending near the Seneca River and then hovering over the water, where the dog is struggling to keep its head above the surface.—
Kelli Bender,
PEOPLE,
2 Apr. 2026
-
But then, suddenly, a silhouette appears, quickly descending those stairs.—
Danielle Parker,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Freshman Keaton Wagler had 20 points and eight rebounds to lead the Illini (28-9), who reached their first Final Four since losing the championship game to North Carolina in 2005.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
5 Apr. 2026
-
Vásquez didn’t factor in the decision after a defensive miscue led to the bullpen briefly losing the lead, but the emerging starting pitcher danced in and out of trouble in keeping the Red Sox at bay on an evening in which the wind chill dropped the temperature into the high 20s.—
Jeff Sanders,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Falling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/falling. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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