Dictionary.com

Popular Searches

 Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

fall down

British  

verb

  1. to drop suddenly or collapse

  2. informal (often foll by on) to prove unsuccessful; fail

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
fall down Idioms  

  1. Fail to meet expectations; lag in performance. For example, It was disappointing to see him fall down on the job. This expression transfers a literal drop to a figurative one. [Second half of 1800s]

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

While attempting to flee, Gerrett, who was in his 30s, fell down a grass verge into oncoming traffic and was fatally hit by a car.

From BBC

I missed Rowdy by a good five feet, and had to grab hold of a sapling to keep from falling down.

From Literature

Three years ago, Quillian’s father fell down the stairs and nearly died.

From Los Angeles Times

They’d step out of the cave, and all the trees would be gone; the newly built houses would be ancient and falling down.

From Literature

“I fell down an escalator when I was pregnant with him.”

From The Wall Street Journal

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.