1
as in to down
to strike (someone) so forcefully as to cause a fall
a champion boxer who was shockingly felled in the first round
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in to mow
to bring down by cutting
the settlers began the daunting task of felling the mighty trees that blanketed the island
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in to kill
to deprive of life
the quest for a cure for malaria, the disease that felled so many during the digging of the Panama Canal
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in lethal
likely to cause or capable of causing death
planning for the distribution of resources in case of some fell event
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in savage
violently unfriendly or aggressive in disposition
a once-mighty nation conquered by a fell and barbarous enemy
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fell
Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 21 Feb. 2025
Here are three common leadership pitfalls that Musk's rise calls to mind and which have felled countless leaders and mass movements through history.
—Justin Gest, Newsweek, 11 Feb. 2025
Ashleigh Fields, The Hill, 8 Mar. 2025
On the first day of his outline, half of the hostages will be released in one fell swoop of the hostages.
—Nadine El-Bawab, ABC News, 14 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fell
Verb
In the early frames, the Sox were felled by the same issues that cost them so many games the year before: too many errors, unearned runs, and men left on base.
—Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 21 Feb. 2025
Here are three common leadership pitfalls that Musk's rise calls to mind and which have felled countless leaders and mass movements through history.
—Justin Gest, Newsweek, 11 Feb. 2025
Adjective
Regardless, the president has remained confident in Musk’s ability to find $1 trillion in federal waste but noted it won’t all be done in one fell swoop.
—Ashleigh Fields, The Hill, 8 Mar. 2025
On the first day of his outline, half of the hostages will be released in one fell swoop of the hostages.
—Nadine El-Bawab, ABC News, 14 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fell
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fell
Verb
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After downing Memphis in the semifinals, Ed Pinckney, Dwyane McClain and the Wildcats played what would be remembered as the ‘Perfect Game,’ going 22 for 27 from the field and upsetting Patrick Ewing and defending national champion Georgetown in the final, 66-64.—
Kels Dayton,
Hartford Courant,
20 Mar. 2025
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Every time a new drone is downed or captured, the captors take it apart to analyze its capabilities.—
David Hambling,
Forbes,
20 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Wells and other workers mow the area several times a year to kill these intruders.—
Jaclyn Cosgrove,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Mar. 2025
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Most people, however, head the opposite way, mowing an inch or more too high.—
Neil Sperry,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
24 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The last stop on that tour is the Yellow Oval Room, where A.B. was killed.—
Max Gao,
Variety,
23 Mar. 2025
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At least 30 Palestinians had been killed in Israeli strikes on Rafah and Khan Younis so far on Sunday, health authorities said.—
Nidal al-Mughrabi,
USA TODAY,
23 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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In Florida, death row inmates who choose lethal injection receive a three-drug cocktail consisting of a sedative, a paralytic and a heart-stopping drug, according to the Death Penalty Information Center.—
Elizabeth Pritchett,
Fox News,
21 Mar. 2025
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In Oklahoma, 56-year-old Wendell Grissom was declared dead by lethal injection at the penitentiary in McAlester at 10:13 a.m.—
arkansasonline.com,
arkansasonline.com,
21 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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As savage Arctic cold was getting ready to surge south across North America, vivid imagery based on data from weather models showed us what was going to happen.—
Tom Yulsman,
Discover Magazine,
27 Dec. 2022
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The 2023 grand marshal is former Arizona Democratic congresswoman Gabby Giffords, gravely wounded in a savage mass shooting in 2011 that also killed six people.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Dec. 2022
Verb
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Not even the property insurance sector, which is traditionally considered to be recession-proof, will be untouched by an economic downturn, experts warned, with homeowners facing the possibility of seeing premiums finally drop as competition grows or skyrocket should natural disasters strike.—
Mark Davis,
Newsweek,
15 Mar. 2025
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Rather than dive into a song and drop the curtain on a set anchored by a statue-like representation of two hands holding a crown, Blige disappeared and ceded attention to a video montage touting her accolades and achievements.—
Bob Gendron,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Residents of states that have been impacted by this weekend's storms have posted photos online showing their homes destroyed by the tornadoes, with roofs fallen completely off, walls caved in and debris on lawns.—
Brenton Blanchet,
People.com,
16 Mar. 2025
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Taking on the role of a teenage boy named Chrono, players have to travel through time and assemble a team to stop a horrifying creature named Lavos from destroying the world.—
Hayes Madsen,
Rolling Stone,
16 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The first wave of deadly overdoses were tied to OxyContin and other prescription drugs, and subsequent waves have involved first heroin and more recently illicit versions of fentanyl.—
arkansasonline.com,
arkansasonline.com,
20 Mar. 2025
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Such an assessment could have prevented the deadly Key Bridge collapse, NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said Thursday.—
Ayesha Ali,
ABC News,
20 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fell.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fell. Accessed 29 Mar. 2025.
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