If someone or something falls, they move quickly downwards onto or towards the ground, by accident or because of a natural force.

If a person or structure that is standing somewhere falls, they move from their upright position, so that they are then lying on the ground.

When rain or snow falls, it comes down from the sky.

If you fall somewhere, you allow yourself to drop there in a hurried or disorganized way, often because you are very tired.

If something falls, it decreases in amount, value, or strength.

If a powerful or successful person falls, they suddenly lose their power or position.

If a place falls in a war or election, an enemy army or a different political party takes control of it.

If someone falls in battle, they are killed.

You can use fall to show that someone or something passes into another state. For example, if someone falls ill, they become ill, and if something falls into disrepair, it is then in a state of disrepair.

If you say that something or someone falls into a particular group or category, you mean that they belong in that group or category.

If the responsibility or blame for something falls on someone, they have to take the responsibility or the blame for it.

If silence or a feeling of sadness or tiredness falls on a group of people, they become silent, sad, or tired.

If a celebration or other special event falls on a particular day or date, it happens to be on that day or date.

When light or shadow falls on something, it covers it.

If someone's hair or a garment falls in a certain way, it hangs downwards in that way.

If you say that someone's eyes fell on something, you mean they suddenly noticed it.

When night or darkness falls, night begins and it becomes dark.

You can refer to a waterfall as the falls .

Fall is the season between summer and winter when the weather becomes cooler.

In the Christian religion, the Fall was the occasion when Adam and Eve sinned and God made them leave the Garden of Eden.

In some sports such as judo and wrestling, a fall is the act of throwing or forcing your opponent to the floor.

In cricket, when a wicket falls, the team who are fielding get one of the batsmen out.

If something falls open, it opens accidentally.

If you say that people are falling over themselves to do something, you mean that they are very enthusiastic about doing it, and often that you disapprove of this.

To fall to pieces, or in British English to fall to bits, means the same as to fall apart .

If something falls apart, it breaks into pieces because it is old or badly made.

If an organization or system falls apart, it becomes disorganized or unable to work effectively, or breaks up into its different parts.

If you say that someone is falling apart, you mean that they are becoming emotionally disturbed and are unable to think calmly or to deal with the difficult or unpleasant situation that they are in.

If something falls away from the thing it is attached to, it breaks off.

If you say that land falls away, you mean it slopes downwards from a particular point.

If the degree, amount, or size of something falls away, it decreases.

If you fall back, you move backwards a short distance away from someone or something.

If an army falls back during a battle or war, it withdraws.

If you fall behind, you do not make progress or move forward as fast as other people.

If you fall behind with something or let it fall behind, you do not do it or produce it when you should, according to an agreement or schedule.

If an argument, organization, or person falls down on a particular point, they are weak or unsatisfactory on that point.

If you fall for someone, you are strongly attracted to them and start loving them.

If you fall for a lie or trick, you believe it or are deceived by it.

If a roof or ceiling falls in, it collapses and falls to the ground.

If you fall in behind or beside someone who is walking along, you start walking behind them or beside them.

If you fall in with an idea, plan, or system, you accept it and do not try to change it.

If you fall in with someone, you become friends with them and start seeing them a lot.

If something falls off, it separates from the thing to which it was attached and moves towards the ground.

If the degree, amount, or size of something falls off, it decreases.

If something such as a person's hair or a tooth falls out, it comes out.

If you fall out with someone, you have an argument and stop being friendly with them. You can also say that two people fall out .

If a responsibility, duty, or opportunity falls to someone, it becomes their responsibility, duty, or opportunity.

If someone falls to doing something, they start doing it.