free fall
noun
the hypothetical fall of a body such that the only force acting upon it is that of gravity.
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free fall
1 Americannoun
-
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-fall
2
American
[free-fawl]
/ ˈfriˌfɔl /
verb (used without object)
free-fell,
free-fallen,
free-falling
adjective
noun
free fall
British
noun
-
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
free fall
Cultural
free fall
Idioms
Discover More
During free fall, objects are said to be weightless.
Etymology
Origin of free fall1
First recorded in 1915–20
Origin of free-fall2
First recorded in 1830–40
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.
See Examples For:
Since the April election, Orbán's party has been in free fall, reeling from the shock defeat.
From BBC ● Jul. 13, 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
Someone offering you a higher fixed rate of interest on bonds, at a moment when the economy is in free fall, is someone offering you free money.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 24, 2025
The carriage ride to the hospital was an hour-long free fall.
From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros
Installing seismic protections hasn’t been a priority for a government in economic free-fall.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 27, 2026
Brown-Forman stock, which has been in free-fall since late 2020, jumped after news of the Pernod talks and has held steady in the weeks since.
From Barron's ● Apr. 9, 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
It accused the digital platform - where investors can buy, sell and trade cryptocurrencies - of fixing exchange rates and currency speculation leading to the free-fall of the local currency.
From BBC ● Oct. 23, 2024
So she doesn’t free-fall, Jay and DeShon clench the rope.
From "Paradise on Fire" by Jewell Parker Rhodes
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
Like a pinball hurled into the the modern tech bubble, Duncan has spent the season trying to stay in the game without getting stuck or free-falling into oblivion too quickly.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 21, 2026
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 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
After the explosion, Piper and Jason - free-falling and unconscious - were plucked out of the sky by giant eagles and brought to safety, but Leo did not reappear.
From "Blood of Olympus" by Rick Riordan
Florence paddled, grit his teeth, free-fell down a 15-foot face, disappeared into one barrel and then another.
From Reuters ● Dec. 9, 2011
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
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
As the elevator car free-fell thirty stories, the candidates floated up from the floor for a moment.
From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin
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.
