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
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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
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in savage
violently unfriendly or aggressive in disposition
a once-mighty nation conquered by a fell and barbarous enemy
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of fell
Christian Babcock, The Mercury News, 2 Dec. 2024
Remarkably, most of the original beams of the cathedral dated from before 1226, with the oldest from a tree felled in 1156.
—Joseph Ataman, CNN, 30 Nov. 2024
Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 26 Dec. 2024
In one fell swoop, Azerbaijan upended a thousand-year-old culture and civilization overnight.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 12 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for fell 
Verb
On to the nominees: Jalen Arnold, Moreau Catholic football: Arnold caught three passes for 102 yards and two touchdowns and returned a kickoff 90 yards for a score as Moreau felled Ferndale 21-19 to win the NCS Division VII championship.
—Christian Babcock, The Mercury News, 2 Dec. 2024
Remarkably, most of the original beams of the cathedral dated from before 1226, with the oldest from a tree felled in 1156.
—Joseph Ataman, CNN, 30 Nov. 2024
Adjective
At the same time, Netflix offers the NFL easy, uniform access to high-end TV consumers around the world in one fell swoop.
—Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 26 Dec. 2024
In one fell swoop, Azerbaijan upended a thousand-year-old culture and civilization overnight.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 12 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for fell
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fell
Verb
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In another fatal accident on Christmas Day, an Azerbaijan Air flight was reportedly downed by Russian air defense systems over Kazakhstan.—
Barbara Peterson,
AFAR Media,
17 Jan. 2025
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The Irish entered the Playoff as the No. 7 seed and handled No. 10 Indiana in comfortable fashion before downing No. 2 Georgia (23-10) and defeating No. 6 Penn State (27-24) via a last-minute interception and field goal.—
Lauren Merola,
The Athletic,
17 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Ever since people started mowing their lawns, there has been a mountain of excuses for putting it off, like any other chore.—
Irene Wright,
Miami Herald,
3 Jan. 2025
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Refrain from mowing on frozen grass It's also recommended to not mow your lawn in the winter if the grass is frozen.—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
19 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Only after her fiancé was killed, Hart said, did her employer install a lock and door handle.—
Cathie Anderson,
Sacramento Bee,
24 Jan. 2025
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But some believe the same elements behind the older Kennedy’s assassination also killed the former senator.—
Michael Loria,
USA TODAY,
24 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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His lethal sneaks have Philadelphia’s fourth-down conversion rate atop the league at nearly 70%.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
21 Jan. 2025
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Burden is a lethal weapon who plays with slick separation skills, elusiveness, and creativity when the ball is in his hands.—
Lawrence Dow,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
21 Jan. 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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Over the weekend, aircraft had been dropping water and fire retardant on steep hills as crews raced to get ahead of the strengthening winds and prevent the Palisade Fire from turning inland toward Brentwood.—
Trevor Hughes,
USA TODAY,
14 Jan. 2025
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The agency said traffic entering the congestion pricing zone — Manhattan south of 60th Street — and on nearby highways had dropped 7.5 percent compared with an estimate of an average workday in January before congestion pricing began last week.—
James Barron,
New York Times,
14 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Some 12,000 structures — buildings and cars — have been destroyed so far, and with them many tons of property of all levels of sentimental meaning.—
Steven Zeitchik,
The Hollywood Reporter,
15 Jan. 2025
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This year, however, will be a much more muted affair, as the Palisades and Eaton Fires have destroyed thousands of homes, killed 25 people and forced more than 150,000 residents to evacuate.—
Ethan Millman,
Rolling Stone,
15 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Heading into his late 30s, Lil Joe has been a road warrior in an astonishing and sometimes harrowing life’s journey, gaining considerable recognition among his kind, which in the wild is having a tough time these days with Florida’s deadly waters.—
Kevin Spear,
Orlando Sentinel,
19 Jan. 2025
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Those feats, economists say, are even more impressive considering the nation was deep in the throes of a deadly, economy-scarring pandemic when Biden took office.—
Alicia Wallace,
CNN,
19 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near fell
Cite this Entry
“Fell.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fell. Accessed 27 Jan. 2025.
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