fallout

1 of 2

noun

fall·​out ˈfȯl-ˌau̇t How to pronounce fallout (audio)
1
a
: the often radioactive particles stirred up by or resulting from a nuclear explosion and descending through the atmosphere
also : other polluting particles (such as volcanic ash) descending likewise
b
: descent (as of fallout) through the atmosphere
2
: a secondary and often lingering effect, result, or set of consequences
have to take a position and accept the political falloutAndy Logan

fall out

2 of 2

verb

fell out; fallen out; falling out; falls out

intransitive verb

1
: quarrel
also : to cut off relations over a quarrel
former friends who have fallen out
2
: turn out, happen
expected to be in the States …  , but things fell out otherwiseMark Twain
3
a
: to leave one's place in the ranks
b
: to leave a building in order to take one's place in a military formation

Examples of fallout in a Sentence

Noun concerned about the possible political fallout from the scandal Verb club members were soon falling out about how to spend the money they'd made washing cars I had planned to have a sports career, but things fell out otherwise.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Three top producers were fired in the fallout, and DeGeneres issued an on-air apology. Krystie Lee Yandoli, Rolling Stone, 25 Apr. 2024 Everyone who spoke to THR for this story, from filmmakers to reps and executives, note that the perilous state of the studio feature and potential filmmaker fallout is likely to disproportionately affect female directors and and filmmakers of color, as movie jail often has. Mia Galuppo, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 Apr. 2024 The fallout in Flint included a federal government investigation, the resignation of then-Gov. Rick Snyder’s environmental chief and the city’s return to using Detroit water. Maggie Vespa, NBC News, 24 Apr. 2024 That never led to any legal fallout under former Attorney General Mark Brnovich. Ronald J. Hansen, The Arizona Republic, 24 Apr. 2024 But amid the ongoing fallout, confusion, and disruption for health care providers across the country, there’s a sense among those experiencing it that the extent of the crisis isn’t being covered. Erika Fry, Fortune, 23 Apr. 2024 The same goes for the Nintendo 3DS emulator Citra, which developers took down in the high-profile fallout from Yuzu’s demise. Kyle Barr / Gizmodo, Quartz, 22 Apr. 2024 The series will cover the fallout from Durst's hot mic confession, his trial and his conviction. Haley Van Horn, Peoplemag, 21 Apr. 2024 The decision’s fallout This wasn’t the first time speech regarding the war in the Gaza Strip has resulted in an on-campus controversy. Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 21 Apr. 2024
Verb
Usually, one or two of the little guys would fall out. Benjamin Nugent, The Atlantic, 17 Apr. 2024 Such agreements had mostly fallen out of favor after the Cold War. Samuel Charap, Foreign Affairs, 16 Apr. 2024 During our rehearsal, the actor that was supposed to play that role fell out. Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Apr. 2024 Since his head was cut off, the sun or moon just falls out the hole where his neck used to be. Bill Chappell, NPR, 8 Apr. 2024 Humphries tossed Kim into the ocean and her earring fell out. Hedy Phillips, Peoplemag, 8 Apr. 2024 But the moon's position changes in orbit while the planet turns as the day goes on, and their calibration with the sun eventually falls out of alignment. Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 7 Apr. 2024 The magazine fell out, and Brad Duncan reached for a spare magazine in his pocket to reload, but Scott E. Duncan held his arm down. Noelle Alviz-Gransee, Kansas City Star, 5 Apr. 2024 Proposals to reduce the cost of big federal benefit programs, which were a GOP hallmark pre-Trump, have fallen out of favor. David Lauter, Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fallout.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1946, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of fallout was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near fallout

Cite this Entry

“Fallout.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fallout. Accessed 28 Apr. 2024.

Kids Definition

fallout

1 of 2 noun
fall·​out ˈfȯ-ˌlau̇t How to pronounce fallout (audio)
: the often radioactive particles that are stirred up by or result from a nuclear explosion and descend through the atmosphere

fall out

2 of 2 verb
(ˈ)fȯ-ˈlau̇t
1
: to have a quarrel
2

Medical Definition

fallout

noun
fall·​out ˈfȯ-ˌlau̇t How to pronounce fallout (audio)
1
: the often radioactive particles stirred up by or resulting from a nuclear explosion and descending through the atmosphere
also : other polluting particles (as volcanic ash) descending likewise
2
: descent (as of fallout) through the atmosphere

More from Merriam-Webster on fallout

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