1
as in to down
to strike (someone) so forcefully as to cause a fall
a champion boxer who was shockingly felled in the first round
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in to mow
to bring down by cutting
the settlers began the daunting task of felling the mighty trees that blanketed the island
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in to kill
to deprive of life
the quest for a cure for malaria, the disease that felled so many during the digging of the Panama Canal
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in lethal
likely to cause or capable of causing death
planning for the distribution of resources in case of some fell event
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in savage
violently unfriendly or aggressive in disposition
a once-mighty nation conquered by a fell and barbarous enemy
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fell
Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 8 July 2025
Winds felled two large pine trees in her neighbors’ yards.
—Jordan Smith, IndyStar, 2 July 2025
Peter Lucas, Boston Herald, 4 July 2025
With just about $2.8 billion dollars in back payments to be paid to former athletes since 2016 and an annual revenue-sharing cap up to $20.5 million dollars accessible to Division I college athletes starting on July 1, the future of college sports changed in one fell swoop.
—Cory Mull, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for fell
Verb
Homes and green spaces have been swallowed up by the HS2 building work, and trees — some of them hundreds of years old — have been felled.
—Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 8 July 2025
Winds felled two large pine trees in her neighbors’ yards.
—Jordan Smith, IndyStar, 2 July 2025
Adjective
In one fell swoop, though, Trump not only saved Israel and the Middle East from a nuclear Armageddon, but possibly western civilization as well.
—Peter Lucas, Boston Herald, 4 July 2025
With just about $2.8 billion dollars in back payments to be paid to former athletes since 2016 and an annual revenue-sharing cap up to $20.5 million dollars accessible to Division I college athletes starting on July 1, the future of college sports changed in one fell swoop.
—Cory Mull, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for fell
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fell
Verb
-
Golf ball-sized hail, downed trees and flash flooding were reported across the Minneapolis-St. Paul area in Minnesota.—
Briana Waxman,
CNN Money,
28 July 2025
-
Aspen Collection does bike rentals, including e-bikes, for those who’d like to secure wheels while downing their espresso.—
Jamie Siebrase,
Denver Post,
22 July 2025
Verb
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That means mowing at the correct height for your species of grass, and fertilizing and irrigating properly. Consider the use of biological pesticides.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
27 July 2025
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The city may also send a contractor to mow the grass, which the property owner must pay for.—
Quinn Clark,
jsonline.com,
25 July 2025
Verb
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The man accused of pulling the trigger in a Christmas Day shooting that killed two Milwaukee teenagers is no longer on the run.—
Chris Ramirez,
jsonline.com,
24 July 2025
-
Harvesting too much at once can damage your plant or possibly kill it.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
23 July 2025
Adjective
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For its lethal injection, Florida uses a combination of a sedative, a paralytic and a drug that stops the heart, the outlet reported, citing the state Department of Corrections.—
Lesley Cosme Torres,
People.com,
1 Aug. 2025
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Zakrzewski is set to be executed by lethal injection at 6 p.m. ET on Thursday at the at Florida State Prison in Railford, about 45 miles southwest of Jacksonville.—
Amanda Lee Myers,
USA Today,
31 July 2025
Adjective
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The 2023 grand marshal is former Arizona Democratic congresswoman Gabby Giffords, gravely wounded in a savage mass shooting in 2011 that also killed six people.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Dec. 2022
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As savage Arctic cold was getting ready to surge south across North America, vivid imagery based on data from weather models showed us what was going to happen.—
Tom Yulsman,
Discover Magazine,
27 Dec. 2022
Verb
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The actor, along with an assistant director, were accused of raping an extra on the set of 2004's Hustle & Flow, but charges against them were later dropped, according to Variety.—
Carson Blackwelder,
People.com,
26 July 2025
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Most recently, the team dropped a 4-0 result to York United following a pair of draws.—
Kilty Cleary,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 July 2025
Verb
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In return, he was allowed to effectively destroy a nature site of great conservation value.—
Kim Hjelmgaard,
USA Today,
26 July 2025
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When the Silver Surfer arrives in New York to destroy the final teleportation tower, Johnny plays those traumatic recordings over speakers in Earth-828's version of Times Square, hoping to appeal to her empathy.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
25 July 2025
Adjective
-
The clinic helps prevent the spread of this deadly disease in the U.S.—
Nicole Villalpando,
Austin American Statesman,
31 July 2025
-
The man faces five criminal charges including unlawful possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon and criminal recklessness with a deadly weapon.—
Jordan Smith,
IndyStar,
31 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fell.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fell. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.
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