falling action

American  

[fawl-ing ak-shuhn] / ˈfɔl ɪŋ ˈæk ʃən /

noun

1. the part of a literary plot that occurs after the climax has been reached and the conflict has been resolved.

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Usage

What is falling action? Falling action is what happens near the end of a story after the climax and resolution of the major conflict. The majority of literary and dramatic works (stories, novels, plays, movies) are built on action—characters doing things, typically pursuing things they want. The climax (the most intense part of the story, often a turning point or a conclusion to the conflict) is preceded by rising action and followed by falling action. Simply put, falling action is what the characters are doing after the story’s most dramatic part has happened. You can see falling action in action (see what we did there?) in just about any form of narrative. And being able to identify it and the other structural elements of a story can help you craft compelling stories of your own.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

falling action

It starts from a place of safety, but then comes the rising action, the climax, the falling action — all of that,” says Wester.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 26, 2026

In short, there is no rising action, no climax, no falling action . . . which is no way to tell a story.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026

The final two paragraphs offer falling action following the dramatic climax.

From Textbooks ● Dec. 21, 2021

They also follow a pattern: there is the introduction, rising action, a climax, a complication, falling action, and then a conclusion and resolution.

From Salon ● Feb. 28, 2019

Antony in a soliloquy shows his determination to avenge Cæsar, and the first scene of the falling action closes with the announcement that Octavius is within seven leagues of Rome.

From The New Hudson Shakespeare: Julius Cæsar by Ebenezer Charlton Black

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