the hypothetical fall of a body such that the only force acting upon it is that of gravity.
the part of a parachute jump that precedes the opening of the parachute.
a decline, especially a sudden or rapid decline, as in value or prestige, that appears to be endless or bottomless.
The economy was in a free fall all winter.
free descent of a body in which the gravitational force is the only force acting on it
the part of a parachute descent before the parachute opens
During free fall, objects are said to be weightless.
First recorded in 1915–20
First recorded in 1830–40
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Measures of investment are in free fall: Fixed-asset investment has declined 5.7% year-to-date and real-estate investment is down 18%.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 16, 2026
While it certainly appears the stock is in free fall, a quick turnaround certainly is possible.
From Barron's ● Jun. 24, 2026
When Bass took office, sworn staffing at the Los Angeles Police Department was in free fall.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 27, 2026
The number of water voles nationally are in free fall, with more than 90 per cent of them lost since the 1970s, the Mammal Society said.
From BBC ● May 19, 2026
The accelerating free fall created tremendous g-force, which Powers felt as crushing weight on his body, making every movement a battle.
From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin
“Job growth is slowing, yes, but not in free-fall, thanks to healthcare,” said Appcast Chief Economist Andrew Flowers in a note on Friday.
From Barron's ● Apr. 3, 2026
It felt like the free-fall drop on a roller coaster, somehow more intense than anything at Six Flags.
From Slate ● Jun. 22, 2025
Instructor Devrey LaRiccia and her student, Kayla Black, showed no problems when they made their tandem jump Aug. 2, according to eyewitnesses who saw them perform a normal free-fall jump.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 9, 2024
He stabilized the peso’s black market exchange rate after months of free-fall.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 30, 2024
He mimes my free-fall off Devil’s Drop with his mitt of a hand.
From "I'll Give You the Sun" by Jandy Nelson
Once one of Southern California’s most celebrated happenings, the Iowa Picnic has free-fallen for decades.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2019
My eyes shoot open the next morning and I look for what woke me, seeing my phone vibrating noisily on the floor, having free-fallen off the table.
From "Five Feet Apart" by Rachael Lippincott
Pahlavi has positioned himself as a potential leader if the regime falls, and in early January he urged Iranians to join the protests that began late last year over the country’s free-falling currency.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 28, 2026
Bayer Leverkusen moved a point behind fourth-placed Leipzig with a 3-1 win at free-falling Eintracht Frankfurt, without a coach until Albert Riera takes over next week.
From Barron's ● Jan. 31, 2026
The Raiders, coming off a 31-0 loss at Kansas City, are free-falling toward irrelevance even before the midway point of the season.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 23, 2025
The official said they were also reviewing other weapons sales, including equipment that helps convert free-falling bombs into precision-guided munitions.
From BBC ● May 8, 2024
There are times when surfing where you’ll take on a wave only to realize the bottom’s dropped out of it and so suddenly without warning you’re free-falling down the entire face.
From "I'll Give You the Sun" by Jandy Nelson
Florence paddled, grit his teeth, free-fell down a 15-foot face, disappeared into one barrel and then another.
From Reuters ● Dec. 9, 2011
I kinda free-fell for a second, stuck it, and just tried to set my rail and pull up - and I did somehow.
From Time Magazine Archive
Plummeting critically late out of the lip, the wind catching his board as he free-fell, Slater landed on his rail and was thrown ridiculously sideways back into the wall of the rapidly rifling wave.
From Time Magazine Archive
Taking off on a solid six-footer, Slater was held up in the lip by stiff offshore winds and free-fell down the face.
From Time Magazine Archive
Hermes went for a ride, taking my place as the pig's passenger, and I free-fell toward the street.
From "The Last Olympian" by Rick Riordan
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.
