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fall on

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fall on(to) someone or something

to collapse toward or onto someone or something. The fence fell onto the car, denting it severely. The branch fell on David.

See also: fall, on

fall (up)on someone

[for a task] to become the duty of someone. The task of telling Mother about the broken vase fell upon Jane. The job of cleaning up the spill fell upon Tom.

See also: fall, on

fall (up)on someone or something

 

1. to collapse on top of someone or something. (Upon is formal and less commonly used than on.) The bridge fell upon a boat passing beneath it. A small branch fell on Jerry as he passed beneath the tree.

2. to attack someone or something. The cat fell upon the mouse and killed it. The children fell on the birthday cake and ate it all.

See also: fall, on

fall on

Also, fall upon.

1. Attack suddenly and viciously, as in They fell on the guards and overpowered them. [c. 1400]

2. Meet with, encounter, as in They fell on hard times. [Late 1500s]

3. Find by chance, discover, as in We fell upon the idea last Saturday night. [Mid-1600s]

4. Be the responsibility or duty of someone, as in It fell on Clara to support the entire family. [Mid-1800s] Also see the subsequent idioms beginning with fall on.

See also: fall, on

fall on

or fall upon

v.

1. To drop or descend from one location to a lower one: My coat got dirty when it fell on the muddy floor. The leaves fell upon the ground underneath the tree.

2. To occur at some particular point in time: My birthday falls on a Thursday this year. Their anniversary falls upon a Saturday this year.

3. To be passed on to someone, especially as a responsibility or burden: It falls on me now to maintain order here. It fell upon the president to solve the crisis.

4. To attack or beset someone or something suddenly and intensely: Insurgent forces fell on the unlucky patrol. A massive hurricane fell upon the coastal town.

5. To experience or enter into something, especially a negative state of affairs: The stockbrokers made a lot of money for a while, but fell on hard times during the recession. After he lost his job, he fell upon a difficult period.

See also: fall, on