fall down
phrasal verb·2 senses·particle down
Meanings
Drop to the ground from an upright position
Why “down”? Movement goes from high to low.
“He fell down on the ice.”
“The toddler fell down in the garden.”
“The picture fell down from the wall.”
(of a plan or argument)fail because of a weakness
Why “down”? A structure, a system, or someone's mood can go down when it fails.
“His argument falls down on this point.”
“The plan falls down at the cost stage.”
Don't confuse with
Fall down means drop to the ground from an upright position. Fall out means have an argument and stop being friends.
Test yourself
“He fell down on the ice.” What does it mean?
Nearby in the meaning map
Sink In connects verbs by particle pattern, contrast pairs, and shared base verbs.
fall out
A contrast learners often mix up
Have an argument and stop being friends
back down
Same down pattern: losing
Withdraw from a position
bear down
Same down pattern: downward
Move quickly and threateningly toward someone
beat down
Same down pattern: downward
(of sun or rain) fall strongly and steadily
bend down
Same down pattern: downward
Lean the upper body downward
blow down
Same down pattern: downward
Cause something to fall by blowing
break down
Same down pattern: losing
(of a vehicle or machine) stop working; Lose emotional control and start crying; Separate something into smaller parts to understand it; (of negotiations or relationships) fail or end; Force a door open by hitting it; Decompose into simpler chemical substances
bring down
Same down pattern: downward
Cause something to fall or land; Make something lower in level or amount; Cause a government or leader to lose power; Make someone feel sad or depressed
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