All phrasal verbs
Phrasal verbs · 8 in this family
FALL
/fɔl/On its own, fall means to drop, or to lose position. Add a particle and it changes completely:
FALL verbs are almost all intransitive — nothing goes between the verb and the particle.
Separate fall apart (disintegrate), fall through (a plan never happens), fall out (quarrel) and fall behind (lose pace). Fall for is the tricky one: it means both “be deceived by” and “fall in love with”, and only context tells you which.
Side by side
Every FALL phrasal verb, with the one line that keeps it apart from its siblings. Tap any one to open it.
| Phrasal verb | Means | How to remember it |
|---|---|---|
| fall apartNo object3 meanings | break into pieces; lose emotional control | APART = the pieces separate. |
| fall throughNo object | a plan fails to happen | It drops THROUGH the floor before completion. |
| fall outNo object2 meanings | quarrel and stop being friends | OUT = you drop out of the friendship. |
| fall behindNo object | fail to keep pace with others | BEHIND = everyone else is ahead. |
| fall forInseparable2 meanings | be deceived by; fall in love with | Two opposite feelings, one form. |
| fall downNo object | collapse to the ground | The literal one. |
| fall back onInseparable | resort to a reliable alternative | BACK ON = the safety net behind you. |
| fall offNo object2 meanings | decrease; become detached | OFF = it separates, or the number drops. |