FELLING Synonyms: 100 Similar and Opposite Words

felling

verb

present participle of fell

as in dropping

to strike (someone) so forcefully as to cause a fall a champion boxer who was shockingly felled in the first round

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in mowing

to bring down by cutting the settlers began the daunting task of felling the mighty trees that blanketed the island

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in killing

to deprive of life the quest for a cure for malaria, the disease that felled so many during the digging of the Panama Canal

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of felling In wildfire prone areas, that can mean felling trees and clearing vegetation to create a defense zone around homes and buildings. — Contessa Brewer,dawn Giel, CNBC, 16 Dec. 2025 While Healey, 54, was bogged down over issues like Canadian energy, trade, tourism and tariffs, as well as meetings with Canadian premiers, Wu, 40, was in Nova Scotia felling a huge Christmas tree. — Peter Lucas, Boston Herald, 24 Nov. 2025 This year, the Pahang state government has led enforcement operations that involved felling decades-old durian trees and issued eviction notices to farmers, which the farmers have disputed. — Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 21 Nov. 2025 Grainier‘s an itinerant lumber man who worked the Pacific Northwest at the turn of the 20th century, felling timber and building railroads. — Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 14 Oct. 2025 However, the miniature accessories didn’t seem to stop a group of humans from felling and butchering the elephant. — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 8 Oct. 2025 Onscreen, a bridezilla sent an equivalent table soaring through a banquet hall, felling at least one chandelier. — Vince Aletti, New Yorker, 3 Oct. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for felling

Verb

Her work at both ends of the court — including dropping a shocking 30 points in Game 2 against the league’s best defense — has led the Dream to a dominant start in the series.

— Leah Asmelash, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2026
But there’s something to be said for dropping your adversary off in a Chicago beset by a mushroom cloud.

— Scott Tobias, Vulture, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of dropping

Verb

Earlier this week, missiles fired by the Houthis struck a residential area in Taiz, killing two teenage girls and renewing attention on the dangers faced by civilians.

— ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026
Russia's aerial attacks hit 12 regions of Ukraine overnight, killing at least four people and wounding scores of others, including five children, Zelenskyy said on social media Thursday.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of killing

Verb

The combination of Chance downing teams inside the 10-yard line combined with a suffocating defense could be a recipe for success for TCU in the final half of the season.

— Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 19 Oct. 2026
Hurricane Isaias made landfall as a Category 2 hurricane on Saturday, spawning tornadoes, destroying buildings and downing power lines across the Gulf region.

— Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of downing

Verb

One crab can eat more than 40 juvenile soft-shell clams in a day, while also destroying seagrass habitats.

— Victoria Malloy, Time, 21 Oct. 2026
And then a seven-hour-long GRB came along—acting like a Death Star whose planet-destroying beam refused to switch off—that defied all explanation.

— Robin George Andrews, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of destroying

Verb

Social media videos of him hitting tennis balls and baseballs while listing his policy proposals have provided a font of online mockery.

— Philip Elliott, Time, 19 Oct. 2026
Lips and eyes were also adorned at the L’Oreal Paris booth, where guests received touch-ups before hitting the adjacent Allure Red Carpet.

— Eden Stuart, Allure, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of hitting

Verb

Widdecombe’s slaying renewed concerns over security for politicians, which has been tightened in the past decade after two lawmakers were murdered.

— ABC News, ABC News, 9 Oct. 2026
Elsewhere, Zach Cregger’s fresh take on the Resident Evil franchise continues slaying in its third week in theaters.

— Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of slaying

Verb

Brown would have to serve with Republican Bernie Moreno, who defeated Brown in 2024 — and would likely become the leading tactician in charge of toppling the Democrat again in 2028.

— semafor.com, semafor.com, 20 Oct. 2026
With homes nearly toppling into the ocean and back-to-back floods and hurricanes amplifying our sense of dread, keeping track of all things El Niño can be overwhelming.

— Rosanna Xia, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of toppling

Browse Nearby Words

fell (in)

felling

fell in with

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Style

“Felling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/felling. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of felling

verb

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