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
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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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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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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of fell
Tim Madigan, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Oct. 2024
The story claimed that two loggers felled a hollow tree and were shocked to find a body inside.
—Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, Discover Magazine, 7 Oct. 2024
Abbey Stone, SELF, 29 Nov. 2024
Wet Dry Vacuum It’s never been easier to get two chores done in one fell swoop, thanks to this cordless wet and dry vacuum that cleans and mops hard floors seamlessly.
—Mia Huelsbeck, People.com, 28 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for fell 
Verb
There, along the North Platte River in what is now Wyoming, the animal was felled by the arrow of a warrior named High Forehead, who may have been hungry.
—Tim Madigan, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Oct. 2024
The story claimed that two loggers felled a hollow tree and were shocked to find a body inside.
—Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, Discover Magazine, 7 Oct. 2024
Adjective
This gentle gel cleanser can wash away dirt, grime, and makeup in one fell swoop.
—Abbey Stone, SELF, 29 Nov. 2024
Wet Dry Vacuum It’s never been easier to get two chores done in one fell swoop, thanks to this cordless wet and dry vacuum that cleans and mops hard floors seamlessly.
—Mia Huelsbeck, People.com, 28 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for fell
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fell
Verb
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The hazardous conditions will impact commutes and lead to power outages and downed trees across the region.Calvin Milliner, ABC News, 5 Dec. 2024
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But the wreckage remains — some 243 structures destroyed, a quarter of Ventura County’s avocado groves blackened, power lines downed, miles of irrigation pipes melted ... and a beloved perennial nursery in Somis burned and nearly shuttered.Jeanette Marantos, Los Angeles Times, 1 Dec. 2024
Verb
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But in this small island of habitat, groups of biologists and volunteers mow, mulch and hand-weed to keep the vegetation to the owls’ liking.Mark Degraff, The Mercury News, 14 Dec. 2024
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Many lawn care companies go on an every other week schedule October through February then resume the every week mowing the rest of the year.Tom MacCubbin, Orlando Sentinel, 30 Nov. 2024
Verb
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Since the war began, Israeli strikes have killed around 700 people tasked with protecting the trucks, according to local officials.Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA TODAY, 14 Dec. 2024
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Thompson, 50, was killed outside of the New York Hilton Midtown where the UnitedHealth Group was holding its investor meeting.Molly Bohannon, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Underwood, 44, is scheduled to be killed by lethal injection at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester on December 19.Jenna Sundel, Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2024
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The state allows prisoners to choose their preferred method of execution: lethal injection or gas chamber.Annabella Rosciglione, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 6 Dec. 2024
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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Trust among Republicans over that time period dropped much more precipitously, from 70% to 40%, while roughly 80% of Democrats expressed trust in national news sources.James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, 15 Dec. 2024
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Unintended shootings drop, but children more often the victims Unintentional shootings are the smallest category of gun deaths, making up about 1% of the total, and have been dropping for four decades.John Diedrich, USA TODAY, 14 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Al Shahabi also asked on Facebook where the recordings of surveillance cameras at regime security branches had gone, why some documents had been destroyed and why human rights groups had not done more to protect records.Raja Razek, CNN, 16 Dec. 2024
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Shacks and buildings were left completely destroyed when the cyclone struck the nation hampered by poverty.Kinsey Crowley, USA TODAY, 16 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Still, Penny grabbed him from behind and put him in a deadly chokehold.Leonard Greene, New York Daily News, 8 Dec. 2024
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Assad's downfall, if it's confirmed, also marks the latest stunning development in one of the deadliest civil wars of the 21st century.Kim Hjelmgaard, USA TODAY, 8 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near fell
Cite this Entry
“Fell.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fell. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
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