fall into

phrasal verb

fell into; fallen into; falling into; falls into

: to go down quickly into (something)

She fell into the swimming pool.

: to pass to (a less active or less desirable state or condition)

This word has fallen into disuse.

His theories have now fallen into disrepute/disfavor.

The machinery has fallen into disrepair.

: to belong in (a particular category or range)

His creative output falls into three distinct categories.

: to be caught in (a trap)

We fell into a trap.

: to begin to do or experience (something) or to be affected by (something) without wanting or trying to

He fell deeply into debt.

She fell into her career almost accidentally.

She fell into the habit of going out for ice cream every night.

Examples of fall into in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

The rider and the motorcycle fell into the No. 3 lane, underneath a passing semi, the CHP said. —

Harry Harris, The Mercury News, 7 Nov. 2024 After the invaders took control of the fort, the seven Emirates fell into British hands and remained there until the UAE finally gained independence in 1971. —

Caroline Reid, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024 If a contest falls into the recount margin, election workers will have to completely retest their county's tabulators, retally the race and repeat a hand count audit of a statistically significant number of the ballots. —

Sasha Hupka, The Arizona Republic, 5 Nov. 2024 About a year into his Deep Pots research, the rest of the puzzle seemed to fall into place. —

Sam Knight, The New Yorker, 4 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for fall into