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.
This delayed reaction means that even if oil prices begin to fall in the coming weeks, the momentum of that initial increase will remain embedded in the economy.
From Barron's • Apr. 15, 2026
Asian nations have been particularly hard hit due to a sharp fall in the crude shipments they rely on -- and have few alternatives to replace them.
From Barron's • Apr. 14, 2026
Indeed, recent history shows that the VIX’s recent slide, combined with a sharp fall in oil prices, is particularly positive for stocks.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 10, 2026
It was a snap decision 18 months ago that made me fall in love with golf again.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026
They ate the last peanut butter sandwiches sitting on a low stone wall, listening to a few birds and watching the sunlight fall in bright, moving patterns onto the leafy floor of the woods.
From "Homecoming" by Cynthia Voigt
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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.