fall in
Britishverb
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to collapse; no longer act as a support
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to adopt a military formation, esp as a soldier taking his place in a line
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(of a lease) to expire
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(of land) to come into the owner's possession on the expiry of the lease
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(often foll by with)
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to meet and join
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to agree with or support a person, suggestion, etc
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to make a mistake or come to grief
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to become pregnant
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Take one's place in formation or in the ranks, as in The sergeant ordered the troops to fall in . A related expression is fall into , as in They all fell into their places . [Early 1600s] Also see fall into .
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Sink inward, cave in, as in The snow was so heavy that we feared the roof would fall in . [Early 1700s] Also see under drop in ; the subsequent idioms beginning with fall in ; fall into .
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The fall in activity compounds a tough few months for the industrial sector in the region.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026
West Midlands Police believes the reorganisation and creation of its major crime unit has led to the fall in gun crime, and a rise in seizures of weapons.
From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026
Even though I was OK with a romance for him, it was still very odd witnessing my husband court and fall in love with another woman.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 9, 2026
You may fall in love with a place.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 9, 2026
It’s a miracle that anyone would ever fall in love with someone else and—of all the people in the world—that person loves them back.
From "Everything Sad Is Untrue" by Daniel Nayeri
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
