fall to

British  

verb

1. (adverb) to begin some activity, as eating, working, or fighting

2. (preposition) to devolve on (a person)

   the task fell to me

3. (of a plan, theory, etc) to be rendered invalid, esp because of lack of necessary information

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fall to Idioms  

1. Energetically begin an activity, set to work, as in As soon as they had the right tools, they fell to work on the house. This expression is also often used to mean “begin to eat.” Charles Dickens so used it in American Notes (1842): “We fall-to upon these dainties.” [Late 1500s]

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

fall to

OXFORD, Miss.—When Lane Kiffin shockingly abandoned Ole Miss mid-playoff run last fall to take the head coaching job at archrival LSU, he wasn’t content with getting a new gig and a massive pay raise.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026

Forecasters say they expect the showers that do fall to drop less than 1 inch of rain.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 2, 2026

Ukrainian company Fire Point is aiming this fall to debut a ballistic missile—a category of weapon that Ukraine currently doesn’t make, but which Russia is using against its cities.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026

Not enough rain will fall to alleviate the recent dry spell, with experts warning that months of persistent wet weather is needed to replenish water supplies.

From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026

I fall to my knees, right there on the back stoop, howling into splayed hands.

From "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen

Related Words

• begin