befall

verb

be·​fall bi-ˈfȯl How to pronounce befall (audio)
bē-
befell bi-ˈfel How to pronounce befall (audio)
bē-
; befallen bi-ˈfȯ-lən How to pronounce befall (audio)
bē-

intransitive verb

: to happen especially as if by fate

transitive verb

: to happen to
the fate that befell them

Examples of befall in a Sentence

It's sad to think of the unhappy fate that befell him. The drought was only one of many hardships to befall the small country.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
At the 3:20 mark, 26 seconds after the Rangers’ penalty expired, calamity befell the Ducks. Andrew Knoll, Oc Register, 29 Mar. 2025 Loading your audio article The Pigeon Point Lighthouse has long kept a lonely vigil along the rugged coastline of San Mateo County, protecting ships from the fate that befell the clipper Carrier Pigeon, which capsized here in 1853. Karl Mondon, The Mercury News, 24 Feb. 2025 In 2023, the same fate befell Kimbrel in Philadelphia; he was removed from the closer's job after blowing back-to-back save opportunities in September, in the middle of a postseason hunt. Dan Perry, Newsweek, 18 Mar. 2025 Odysseus, for instance, left for the moon only about a year prior to Athena, giving Intuitive Machines little time to troubleshoot what went wrong with Odysseus’s landing to prevent similar issues from befalling Athena. Gayoung Lee, Scientific American, 6 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for befall

Word History

Etymology

Middle English befallen, going back to Old English befeallan (parallel to Old High German bifallan "to fall"), from be- be- + feallan "to fall entry 1"

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of befall was in the 13th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Befall.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/befall. Accessed 10 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

befall

verb
be·​fall bi-ˈfȯl How to pronounce befall (audio)
befell -ˈfel How to pronounce befall (audio) ; befallen -ˈfȯ-lən How to pronounce befall (audio) ; befalling
1
: to take place : happen
2
: to happen to

More from Merriam-Webster on befall

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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