Phrasal Verbs with Fall: Meanings and Examples

The verb fall might make you think of slipping on a banana skin, but it has plenty of other tricks up its sleeve! When you combine fall with words such as apart, behind or for, you can create phrasal verbs with completely different meanings.

In this guide, you’ll discover common phrasal verbs with fall, learn what they mean and see how to use them in everyday English. Let’s take the plunge!

What does ‘fall’ mean?

The word ‘fall‘ can mean many different things. As a verb, the meanings include to lose your balance or move to a lower position.

For example:

  • I fell down the stairs. (lose your balance)
  • My team has fallen seven places in the league table. (move to a lower position)

 

Fall is an irregular verb. The past tense is fell and the past participle is fallen.

Common Phrasal Verbs with Fall

fall apart

meaning: To break into pieces, or to stop working or functioning properly. It can also describe someone becoming emotionally overwhelmed

examples:

  • My old trainers are falling apart.
  • She nearly fell apart when she heard the bad news.
School children on a trip to an old, crumbling castle, illustrating the phrasal verb “fall apart”.

fall back on

meaning: to use something as a backup when your first choice doesn’t work out

examples:

  • If I can’t find a job, I’ll fall back on my savings.
  • She fell back on her experience when things got difficult.
Person using money from a savings jar to pay unexpected bills, illustrating the phrasal verb “fall back on”.

fall behind

meaning: to fail to keep up with someone or something, or to make less progress than expected

examples:

  • I missed a week of lessons and fell behind with my work.
  • The runner fell behind the rest of the group.
Cartoon horse race with a disappointed spectator saying, “My horse has fallen behind!”, illustrating the phrasal verb fall behind.

fall down

meaning: to fall to the ground, usually because you lose your balance

examples:

  • I tripped over a stone and fell down. (lose your balance)
  • The old wall fell down during the storm. (collapse)
Cartoon of an elderly woman who has fallen down on a busy town-centre pavement as passers-by help her and gather her scattered shopping.

fall for

meaning: to be tricked by someone or something, or to develop romantic feelings for someone

examples:

  • I can’t believe I fell for that silly joke!
  • He fell for her the moment they met.
Cartoon of a groom speaking to his bride at the altar, illustrating the phrasal verb fall for, meaning to fall in love with someone.

fall into

meaning: to enter a particular state or situation, sometimes without intending to

examples:

  • She fell into a deep sleep.
  • He fell into the habit of checking his phone every few minutes.
Cartoon of a tired teenager gaming late at night in a messy bedroom surrounded by junk food, illustrating the phrasal verb fall into a bad habit.

fall off

meaning: to become detached from something, or to decrease in amount, level or quality

examples:

  • The sign fell off the wall.
  • Sales fell off towards the end of the year.
Cartoon of a boy crossing a rickety bridge between two cliff-top islands as his friend warns him, “Be careful, don't fall off!”, illustrating the phrasal verb fall off.

fall out

meaning: To have an argument or disagreement with someone. It can also mean to come out of something accidentally.

examples:

  • The two friends fell out over a misunderstanding.
  • My phone fell out of my pocket.
Cartoon of a woman with a missing front tooth standing outside a dentist, saying, “My tooth fell out!”, illustrating the phrasal verb fall out.

fall over

meaning: To lose your balance and land on the ground.

examples:

  • Be careful not to fall over that bag!
  • He tripped on the pavement and fell over.
Cartoon of a confused man in pyjamas finding overturned plants and scattered soil in his living room, with a guilty-looking cat and a hidden mouse, illustrating the phrasal verb fall over.

fall through

meaning: when a plan, deal or arrangement fails to happen

examples:

  • Our holiday plans fell through when the flight was cancelled.
  • The business deal fell through at the last minute.
Cartoon of a boy who has fallen through the ice on a frozen pond while retrieving his football, with worried friends on the bank, illustrating the phrasal verb fall through.

You can download a table of phrasal verbs with fall below.

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Conclusion

And there you have it! The verb fall can do much more than describe someone taking a tumble. From plans that fall through to people who fall for a trick, these phrasal verbs pop up in all sorts of everyday situations.

The best way to remember them is to learn each one in context and practise using it in your own sentences. Keep at it, and you’ll soon stop falling behind!

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