free-fall 1 of 2

noun

Definition of free-fallnext
as in slide

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free-fall

2 of 2

verb

as in to plummet

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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 free-fall
Noun
Each has only lasted two games, so this isn’t a free-fall. — Sean McIndoe, New York Times, 26 Jan. 2026 While the crypto free-fall seems to have paused, the extreme price swings remain. — Joe Wilkins Published Mar 18, Futurism, 18 Mar. 2026 The timepiece endured low pressure and temperature and a free-fall speed of 821 mph, above the sound barrier. — Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2019 Corbet’s starts with a near-vertical free-fall for 10 to 20 feet, depending on the snowpack, before the run opens to a narrow, rocky chute. — Owen Clarke, Outside, 30 Jan. 2026 The film, in which Powell plays a country-western star in free-fall, has been set for release on February 5, 2027. — Justin Kroll, Deadline, 20 Mar. 2026 Late last year, Saudi Arabia's Six Flags Qiddiya City opened the world's longest, tallest, and fastest roller coaster, opened the world’s tallest free-fall ride, and opened the world’s tallest pendulum ride. — Kristine Hansen, Travel + Leisure, 25 Feb. 2026 In addition to featuring the same hybrid rollercoaster and water slide that can be found on the Prima Plus-class Norwegian Aqua, Luna will have a 10-deck free-fall slide called The Drop and a top-deck sports and outdoor gaming space called The Stadium. — Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 16 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for free-fall
  1. slide
  2. plummet
  3. dive
  4. plunge
  5. skid
  6. precipitate
  7. tumble
  8. collapse
Noun
  • The bank said previous interventions had only temporarily interrupted the yen’s slide before USD/JPY resumed climbing, and expects a similar pattern if authorities intervene again.
    — Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 6 July 2026
  • In this climate, a wider conflict, with NATO – the enemy Putin has always railed against – could both explain Moscow’s slow slide into stalemate in Ukraine and help justify a wider war, or even full-scale mobilization inside Russia.
    — Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 6 July 2026
Definition of slide
Verb
  • Ever wonder how actors recreate a cargo plane plummeting to the ground?
    — Skyler Caruso, PEOPLE, 3 July 2026
  • Within seconds, cheers echo across the mountain valley as a vehicle soars through the sky before plummeting down below.
    — Carmela Asmar, USA Today, 2 July 2026
Definition of plummet
Noun
  • Payton talks all the time about not putting quarterbacks on the high dive, but Nix has spent his first two seasons in the league working mostly from the 10-meter platform.
    — Troy Renck, Denver Post, 6 July 2026
  • According to Lindsley, one diver suffered a concussion underwater after a dive.
    — Vanessa Yurkevich, CNN Money, 5 July 2026
Definition of dive
Verb
  • Riyadh largely paused shipments from its Gulf export terminals of Ras Tanura and Juaymah on March 9 after tanker traffic through Hormuz plunged due to Iranian attacks.
    — Spencer Kimball, CNBC, 2 July 2026
  • Even as the communist country proposes reforms, the United States continues a pressure campaign, ramping up economic sanctions and maintaining an oil embargo that has plunged much of the island into darkness.
    — Rick Jervis, USA Today, 1 July 2026
Definition of plunge
Noun
  • Turn into the skid - Turning into the skid can help the vehicle's tires realign to regain control.
    — STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 July 2026
  • Make sure the tires reconnect with the road - During the skid, wait until the tires reconnect with the road and then gently straighten the wheels to regain control.
    — NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 6 July 2026
Definition of skid
Verb
  • Grave loss in Canada precipitated the Declaration of Independence, created with an eye to France and Spain as allies.
    — Sarah M.S. Pearsall, The Conversation, 2 July 2026
  • While Carvalho’s resignation was widely reported — and precipitated the appointment of Andrés Chait as the new superintendent three days later — there was no indication at the time that the school board had been pressuring Carvalho to step down.
    — Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 28 June 2026
Definition of precipitate
Noun
  • McKinnon was a billionaire in 2021 and 2022 thanks to a surge in software stocks during the time, but saw his fortune tumble as part of a broad selloff that erased billions of dollars from technology valuations.
    — Kirk Ogunrinde, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
  • This highly competent, obsessive duo tumbles into a self-destructive cat-and-mouse dynamic — but who’s the cat and who’s the mouse?
    — Sara Netzley, Entertainment Weekly, 2 July 2026
Definition of tumble
Verb
  • The camaraderie was evident on the ground here in La Guaira, the coastal city where quake damage was most severe, collapsing dozens of buildings.
    — Mery Mogollón, Los Angeles Times, 5 July 2026
  • The dogs, specially trained to detect human scent, have spent days searching for people trapped beneath the rubble of nearly 200 buildings that collapsed following the two powerful back-to-back earthquakes.
    — Alessandra Freitas, CNN Money, 5 July 2026
Definition of collapse

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freedwomen
free-fall
free-falling
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Cite this Entry

“Free-fall.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/free-fall. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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