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

It added the cost of dealing with the waste could fall to the public if those responsible are not identified.

From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026

Analysts forecast Brent crude to fall to $80 a barrel in the fourth quarter, but this depends on Strait of Hormuz traffic recovery.

From Barron's • Apr. 9, 2026

Some analysts say mortgage rates would need to fall to 5.5% or lower for many buyers to be willing to make a move.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026

Economists polled by the Wall Street Journal had expected the index to fall to 87.5.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 31, 2026

He fell sprawling onto a thin carpet that did little to cushion his precipitous fall to the floor.

From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy

Related Words

• begin