free fall

NOUN

rapid decline or descent

Synonyms

WEAK

collapse decline dive drop nosedive plummet plummeting plunge sag slump

Antonyms

WEAK

upturn

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

When Bass took office, sworn staffing at the Los Angeles Police Department was in free fall.

From Los Angeles Times • May 27, 2026

The number of water voles nationally are in free fall, with more than 90 per cent of them lost since the 1970s, the Mammal Society said.

From BBC • May 19, 2026

After touching an all-time high around $125,000 in October, bitcoin went into free fall, and its spectacular rally was matched by an equally dramatic decline.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 22, 2026

The conjoined entrance into the NBA of Bird and Magic in 1979 went a long way toward saving a league in free fall.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 25, 2026

One ride drops you 108 stories on a cable at near free fall without so much as a mattress to keep you company on your way down.

From "Challenger Deep" by Neal Shusterman