How to Use befall in a Sentence

befall

verb
  • It's sad to think of the unhappy fate that befell him.
  • The drought was only one of many hardships to befall the small country.
  • Such a fate will not befall the Colbert set, at least.
    — Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 22 May 2026
  • Or when the game was close, and some basic blunder befell them.
    — chicagotribune.com, 26 Sep. 2019
  • The problem befalling many a meatball sub is the roll.
    — Carolyn Burt, Oc Register, 31 Jan. 2026
  • Some experts fear this is a dark omen of a fate that could befall Kyiv.
    — Stephen Collinson, CNN, 21 Mar. 2022
  • Both characters have things to do and a path to tread and things to befall them.
    — Laura Bradley, vanityfair.com, 23 Oct. 2017
  • Both characters have things to do and a path to tread and things to befall them.
    — Lesley Goldberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 22 Oct. 2017
  • Her death marked the second tragedy that befell her siblings.
    — Adam Ferrise, cleveland, 29 Feb. 2020
  • Our hearts are heavy, and we are deeply stricken by this tragedy that has befallen one of our own.
    — Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 24 Jan. 2026
  • Our hearts are heavy, and we are deeply stricken by this tragedy that has befallen one of our own.
    — Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 25 Jan. 2026
  • Whether the same fate will befall Joe Biden remains to be seen.
    — Douglas Brinkley, CBS News, 19 Jan. 2025
  • Charmeau wants to ensure the same fate does not befall Europe.
    — Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 20 July 2018
  • Anyone who meets her, it is said, will befall a similar and swift fate.
    — Bree Sposato, Travel + Leisure, 28 Apr. 2023
  • None of those seem to be his fault, merely circumstances that can befall us all.
    — Mark Deeks, Forbes, 18 July 2022
  • What sanctions will befall those who color outside the lines of their grants?
    — Jan Hoffman, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2023
  • Her son’s death is the second tragedy to befall her family.
    — Emma Seiwell, New York Daily News, 30 Apr. 2026
  • But perhaps the biggest tragedy that befalls many bands is growing apart.
    — Katie Gavin, Time, 8 May 2026
  • The usual maladies that befall a loose heel are bad blisters as your heel rubs against the shoe.
    — Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 10 June 2025
  • The answer lies in both its tactics and in the tragedy which befell the club over the summer.
    — Jamie Barton, CNN Money, 27 Oct. 2025
  • The incident wasn’t the first to befall the famed banana.
    — Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 1 June 2026
  • Bad luck befalling one rival is probable in this league.
    — Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 1 June 2026
  • Could others befall the same fate before the first games or in the middle of the season?
    — Chris Solari, Detroit Free Press, 20 Oct. 2017
  • The hope for the Chargers would be a similar fate does not befall him.
    — James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Dec. 2025
  • Our leaders owe it to all of us to do their utmost to prevent this fate from befalling anyone else.
    — New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 26 Apr. 2026
  • The costs come as hard financial times appear poised to befall the agency.
    — John Bacon, USA TODAY, 14 Feb. 2018
  • Many outside Hong Kong now fear what will befall Asia’s world city.
    — Laignee Barron/hong Kong, Time, 21 Nov. 2019
  • Alley had captured the full scope of what had befallen the Panay and those aboard it.
    — Brad Lendon, CNN, 26 May 2023
  • Who knows what drama will befall these characters, who have been on a roller coaster.
    — Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 9 Aug. 2025
  • Someone notes the rare silence that has befallen the kitchen — this gumbo is good.
    — Danielle Dorsey, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2024

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'befall.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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