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
Rania Abouzeid, The New Yorker, 8 Dec. 2024
It was even enlarged to incorporate two massive, historic elm trees that would have been felled to accommodate the structure otherwise.
—Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 30 Nov. 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
President Bashar al-Assad, and his late father and predecessor, Hafez, were omnipresent forces, glaring down from the many billboards, posters, and statues that were felled this week with all the exuberance, rage, and grief of the long-oppressed.
—Rania Abouzeid, The New Yorker, 8 Dec. 2024
It was even enlarged to incorporate two massive, historic elm trees that would have been felled to accommodate the structure otherwise.
—Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 30 Nov. 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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Even in cases where it was downed, the $49,000 drone was effective at drawing fire from more expensive Russian air defense missiles.Jeremy Bogaisky, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2024
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Trump tamps down fears about RFK Jr. Trump sought to tamp down fears that Kennedy would radically revamp the Health and Human Services Department next year if he is confirmed by the Senate.Mabinty Quarshie, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 16 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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While all 379 passengers on the commercial flight were safely evacuated, five crew members aboard the Coast Guard plane were killed.Andy Biggs, Newsweek, 26 Dec. 2024
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Pyle has survived countless motorcycle accidents and a few plane crashes, one of which killed members of his band.Jim Clash, Forbes, 25 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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What's New Kevin Underwood died by lethal injection in Oklahoma on Thursday in the nation's 25th and final execution of the year.Benedict Cosgrove, Newsweek, 20 Dec. 2024
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Underwood was executed by lethal injection on his 45th birthday, according to Kay Thompson, a spokesperson for the Oklahoma Department of Corrections.Amaris Encinas, USA TODAY, 19 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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In Latin America, productions continue to drop with regularity, with Prime Video drama Cometierra and Netflix’s Las Maldiciones both coming from the prolific Oficina Burman.Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 27 Dec. 2024
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The talent agency William Morris Endeavor dropped Baldoni as a client after Lively’s filing, Ari Emanuel, chief executive of the agency’s parent company, Endeavor, told the Times.Doha Madani, NBC News, 27 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Spreading rapidly due to strong winds, the South Fork Fire destroyed more than 1,000 structures.Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 28 Dec. 2024
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And nonstop joy would, surely, destroy your dopamine receptors.Daisy Jones, Vogue, 27 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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After his arrest, Wallen was charged with disorderly conduct, a misdemeanor, and three counts of reckless endangerment with a deadly weapon, a class E felony, the lowest level of felony.Evan Mealins, The Tennessean, 20 Dec. 2024
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The newspaper had republished its caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad a few weeks before Paty’s death to mark the opening of the trial over deadly 2015 attacks on its newsroom by Islamic extremists.Tom Nouvian and Samuel Petrequin, Los Angeles Times, 20 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near fell
Cite this Entry
“Fell.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fell. Accessed 2 Jan. 2025.
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