fall down

To lose your balance and land on the ground, or collapse from an upright position.

• Be careful or you will fall down.
• She fell down and hurt her knee.
• The old wall fell down during the storm.

Similar words: fall, collapse, topple

Opposites: stand up

Common phrases: fall down stairs, fall down suddenly, fall down flat

To fail or have a weakness that prevents something from working well.

• This is where your argument falls down.
• The plan fell down because nobody checked the costs.
• We do good work but fall down on communication.

How to use it: fall down on something (The service falls down on delivery times.)

Similar words: fail, break down

Opposites: succeed

Common phrases: fall down on something, fall down here

To move by boat toward the place where a river reaches the sea or another body of water.

• The boat fell down towards the sea.
• They let the vessel fall down with the tide.
• At dawn, the ship began to fall down to the river mouth.

How to use it: fall down to/towards somewhere (The vessel fell down towards the river mouth.)

Similar words: drift downstream, sail downstream

Common phrases: fall down river, fall down downstream