fall out
noun, verb
fall out is a noun meaning “Synonym of falling out (“rift following a disagreement or quarrel”)” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). It is spelled F-A-L-L-O-U-T. The plural of fall out is fall outs or fall-outs.
What does fall out mean?
noun
- 1
Synonym of falling out (“rift following a disagreement or quarrel”).
We had a fall out, couldn't come to terms and haven't talked since.
verb
- 1
To come out of something by falling.
I opened the cupboard and a can fell out onto my foot.
- 2
To cease to be on friendly terms.
Dave and I fell out after a long argument.
- 3
To leave one's place in the current formation of ranks in order to take one's place in a new formation.
- 4
To leave one's current location to report for duty at a new location.
The company fell out for an artillery drill.
- 5
To pass out.
- 6
datedTo turn out, happen.
I expected to be in the States long before this, but things fell out otherwise.
- 7
obsoleteTo fall off due to the quoins holding it in place having become wet and therefore loose.
- 8
To give way under someone.
The board he was walking on fell out.
noun
- 1
Alternative spelling of fallout.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
How do you pronounce fall out?
- Australia
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-au-fall_out.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of fall out
- fall outs plural
- falls out present, singular, he/she/it
- falling out participle, present
- fell out past
- fallen out participle, past
- fall-outs plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Words people confuse with fall out
Word pairs people search, with the monthly searches for “a vs b” (G: Google, B: Bing, United States).
Also written: fallout (one word or two).
Sources: Google and Bing searches (September 2025 to August 2026, through DataForSEO); English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).
Fall out in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| German | ausfallen, ausgehen |
| Spanish | caerse , desavenirse, desconcertarse, malquistarse, cizañarse, encizañarse |
| French | brouiller avec |
| Portuguese | brigar |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.