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fall

fall

99 6.7
The act of being defeated or surrendering in battle
  • noun
  • /fɔl/
translation icon : caída
  • After the commander conceded, the troops surrendered, marking the fall of the fortress.
  • fall from power
  • rise and fall
  • fall of communism

So what we see happening as this generation that's going to take play, take part in the fall of the Roman Republic is being born.

Examples

  • Both conflicts were also relatively short, from the beginning of hostilities to the fall of the regime.

    Academic text (2017)
  • It was the fall of a man.

  • Some say I was responsible for the fall of the Soviet Union.

  • It's like the fall of the Roman Empire.

  • Elena took the fall and went to prison for 30 years.

  • We wondered whether Tommy Mason was taking the fall for his father.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • Their denunciations were one of the factors in Deng's fall from power in 1975.

    Academic text (2013)
  • The United Nations set about rebuilding the Afghan state immediately after the fall of the Taliban.

    Academic text (2011)
  • Of most concern to the CPV leaders was the fall of Romania's leader, who most believed was invincible.

    Academic text (1991)
  • The fall of an empire, the coming of a comet, and now, when the blood of these Canadians touches American soil, it will be our time to rise.

Synonyms

surrender
vsfall
77 4.2

Giving up after defeat, for example when an army stops fighting

is mainly used for defeat in battle or siege often by agreement
capitulation
vsfall
5 8.3

Giving up in a fight or war under agreed terms

is specific to defeat in battle or siege rather than general cases

Antonyms

1.0

A win against an opponent or a difficult problem

412 5.5

Armed action by a group against an enemy or occupying force

Idioms

To become available to people who might use it to harm others

11 6.5

Stop taking part or trying because of problems

A loss of status and respect after wrongdoing

To accept what happens and not try to change the result

6 7.6

To fail badly and embarrass yourself in front of other people

To fail completely and feel embarrassed in front of others

4 8.4

To accept blame or quit a job to protect other people

4 6.4

To get something good without trying or expecting it

To begin behaving badly again and lose people's respect

Not get noticed or dealt with

Children often look and behave like their parents

1 6.4

To react strongly because something is very funny or surprising

To not be easily fooled because you have experience

To get something good without effort or planning

1 9.1

To lose your balance and land on your backside in an awkward or embarrassing way

Suddenly fail completely because it is weak or badly built

To die as a Christian who trusts in God and expects life after death

Fail at the final stage after earlier success

To look much less attractive after a sudden change

Fail to reach either goal because you try to do both

Things sold or bought secretly because they were stolen

To die or suddenly lose an important position

To get things someone probably stole and sold cheaply

8.8

To go to bed or sleep

Accept a big risk to protect other people

To keep trying after many failures no matter how often you fail

Hug someone tightly because you feel very happy or relieved

Continue doing something with energy until you can no longer

Compounds

fall guy
  • Informal
19 7.6

A person who others blame so they avoid punishment

free fall
  • Specialized
6 4.0

Movement of something downwards while only gravity pulls it

6 4.6

A sudden large drop in value, often of stocks or prices

1 6.0

A moment when a play or show ends and the curtain comes down

Fall of Man
  • Literature
1 8.9

An event in the Bible when Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit, lost their innocence, and left the Garden

fall armyworm
  • Specialized
8.6

A caterpillar that eats and destroys corn and other grass crops

fall girl
  • Offensive
9.2

A woman who is easily tricked and often blamed for other people's mistakes

fall cankerworm
  • Specialized
9.9

A green or brown caterpillar with white stripes that eats tree leaves in autumn

A small European plant with yellow flowers that blooms in the fall and is now common in North America

6.0

The time when day and night are almost the same length, marking the start of autumn in the Northern Hemisphere

Fall of man
  • Literature
9.9

A Christian belief that people lose their innocence when they disobey God

fall webworm
  • Specialized
9.9

A caterpillar that lives in large silk nests on tree branches and eats the leaves in late summer and fall

4.7

A plant that produces flowers in autumn

A bush that loses its leaves and has large cone-shaped flowers in fall

A cover that folds down to protect piano keys when not played

How Complete

capitulation
5 8.3
fall
99 6.7
surrender
77 4.2

Surface Forms

fall singular
falls plural

Etymology

The noun fall for the loss or surrender of a city comes from the idea of it being taken or 'falling', from old English feallan 'to fall'. So the 'fall' of a fortress means it was defeated or given up.