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.

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

Software and services stocks have been in free fall for weeks, dragging the iShares Expanded Tech-Software Sector ETF to the lowest levels in nearly a year and more than 30% from its mid-September peak.

From Barron's • Feb. 13, 2026

But home values are not in a free fall.

From MarketWatch • Nov. 7, 2025

He set a record for fastest free fall, descending 127,852 feet at 843.6 mph and becoming the first human to break the sound barrier without the assistance of a vehicle.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 18, 2025

I wanted to someday be an artist for VR environments, create the spaces where you jump in free fall and spin and fire into surprising gulfs.

From "Landscape with Invisible Hand" by M.T. Anderson