as in dangling
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Dissimilar Words
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
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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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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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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
CBS News, 13 Apr. 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
Literary Hub, 20 May 2026
The mismatch between workers and available jobs—a key barometer of labor market stress—has actually improved since that moment, falling below its pre-pandemic level.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 19 May 2026
Policymakers also tend to recalibrate portfolios during bouts of market stress, with some selling reflecting tactical concerns about rising inflation and falling bond values — a move into cash-like assets to ensure liquidity should intervention needs escalate, Neumann said.
—Anniek Bao, CNBC, 19 May 2026
However, the economic and educational trajectories of men and women have increasingly diverged, with a large swath of men falling behind.
—Greg Rosalsky, NPR, 19 May 2026
And that growing financial pressure is starting to show up in payment patterns, with more borrowers falling behind on what's owed.
—Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 19 May 2026
But the risk of too many people falling behind is still too great.
—Allison Schrager, Twin Cities, 19 May 2026
Despite this spark of hope, by his teens, Ian’s dreams of becoming a soccer player are falling apart as rejection, oppression and his own internal rage take their toll.
—Leo Barraclough, Variety, 12 May 2026
Breaking down the quarterly results by region, North America sales continued to decline, falling 7 percent to $641 million in the period, while international revenue increased 10 percent to $539 million.
—Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 12 May 2026
Noun
Garnett, who had a falling out with previous owner Glen Taylor after his career was over, reached an agreement last year with the team to serve as an ambassador.
—CBS News, 13 Apr. 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
The magnificent luminosity of the orbs announced their arrival, their glow falling unfamiliar against windowpanes, which drew the people to the street.
—Literary Hub, 20 May 2026
The mismatch between workers and available jobs—a key barometer of labor market stress—has actually improved since that moment, falling below its pre-pandemic level.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 19 May 2026
Policymakers also tend to recalibrate portfolios during bouts of market stress, with some selling reflecting tactical concerns about rising inflation and falling bond values — a move into cash-like assets to ensure liquidity should intervention needs escalate, Neumann said.
—Anniek Bao, CNBC, 19 May 2026
However, the economic and educational trajectories of men and women have increasingly diverged, with a large swath of men falling behind.
—Greg Rosalsky, NPR, 19 May 2026
And that growing financial pressure is starting to show up in payment patterns, with more borrowers falling behind on what's owed.
—Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 19 May 2026
But the risk of too many people falling behind is still too great.
—Allison Schrager, Twin Cities, 19 May 2026
Despite this spark of hope, by his teens, Ian’s dreams of becoming a soccer player are falling apart as rejection, oppression and his own internal rage take their toll.
—Leo Barraclough, Variety, 12 May 2026
Breaking down the quarterly results by region, North America sales continued to decline, falling 7 percent to $641 million in the period, while international revenue increased 10 percent to $539 million.
—Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 12 May 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
-
These concerns have led to the weakening of the rupee against the dollar, sending it to record lows in recent days.—
Priyanka Salve,
CNBC,
13 May 2026
-
But the weakening of that regime weakens the proxies as well.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
10 May 2026
Verb
-
In a video shared on Facebook by comedian Mike Goldstein, the man can be seen stumbling out of the bathroom while still fastening his belt.—
Desiree Anello,
PEOPLE,
17 May 2026
-
Arriving at Badlands National Park feels like stumbling upon Mars.—
Stephanie Vermillion,
Travel + Leisure,
17 May 2026
Verb
-
The Boys – Season 5 (Prime Video) Things have gone from bad to worse in the final season of The Boys, Prime Video’s irreverent superhero satire about America succumbing to charismatic despots and fascistic opportunists.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
-
Ace Hunter Brown made two starts before succumbing to a shoulder strain and closer Josh Hader has not thrown a pitch in the majors this season.—
Matt Kawahara,
Houston Chronicle,
7 May 2026
Verb
-
Netflix is plunging deeper into the Harlan Coben business with a new series based on his Myron Bolitar novels.—
Ethan Shanfeld,
Variety,
13 May 2026
-
The actress and singer wore a plunging one-piece for the beachside photoshoot, which was captured by photographer Kat Irlin in South Caicos.—
Jordana Comiter,
PEOPLE,
12 May 2026
Verb
-
As chairman, Cassidy has had several clashes with the White House over confirmations, including for Kennedy due to his support for decreasing the number of vaccines children receive.—
Gabrielle M. Etzel,
The Washington Examiner,
13 May 2026
-
San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie announced an overall 4% decrease, and unsheltered homelessness decreasing by 22% since the 2024 count.—
Robin Epley,
Sacbee.com,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
The steeply descending main street of Haworth is filled with tea shops, pubs and stores clearly dedicated to pleasing Brontë pilgrims, but its basic form, including the original stationery store where the sisters once bought their paper, remains the same.—
Culture Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
14 May 2026
-
Case in point is the Haryma necklace, where yellow and orange diamonds come to play with garnets and white diamonds to create a shading effect on the necklace and figurative tiger descending a staircase arrangement supported by five imperial topazes, totaling just over 28 carats.—
Lily Templeton,
Footwear News,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
The rest of the production had been much harder—particularly because, to his frustration, he’d been forced to film primarily in Atlanta rather than in Oakland, after a year of maddening delays led to the production losing its California tax rebate.—
Emily Nussbaum,
New Yorker,
17 May 2026
-
The Wolves were wiped out by the Spurs in the second round, losing Game 6 by 30 points on Friday night.—
Jon Krawczynski,
New York Times,
17 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Falling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/falling. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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