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 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

Not long after Sora 2 launched as a stand-alone, limited-access app in the fall, user growth went into total free fall, with downloads plunging by nearly 75 percent from their November peak.

From Slate • Mar. 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

The board must have sailed along with her, just below her feet for those terrifying seconds of free fall.

From "Uglies" by Scott Westerfeld