Synonyms: Fall

Black clouds roll out from the Wastes, and the heavens break open, rain cascading through lightning-edged cracks in the sky. An Ember in the Ashes

The buildings aren’t as tall, and the roofs are crumbling, some threatening to collapse entirely if too much force hits them. Legend

Janie saw the look on his face and leaped forward as he crashed forward in her arms. Their Eyes Were Watching God

Apartheid’s walls cracked and crumbled over many years. Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood

But as the sun declines, and the palms begin to cast their shadows across the plain, and a cool breeze comes in from the sea, the whole English world pours forth. Field, Henry M. (Henry Martyn)

Algernon refuses to run the maze any more; general motivation has decreased. Flowers for Algernon

Continental money had so depreciated that forty dollars were scarcely equal in value to one silver dollar. Bolton, Sarah Knowles

They descended another stairway and walked down peaceful aisles washed in Blue. A Wish in the Dark

Any society goes through social movements or fads, in which economically useless things become valued or useful things devalued temporarily. Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies

Then the sounds and smells were receding into the distance, the thudding of the footsteps diminished. Watership Down: A Novel

William Faulkner added his pilot’s know-how to the scenario, getting technical as he described exactly what Tania would have to do to make her plane turn and swoop and dive. A Thousand Sisters

In show business, sometimes the curtain drops but then comes back up, and there’s an encore.
– The New York Times

The food in the larder dwindled, and there were many people to be fed. The Door in the Wall

The cries of his victims rang out as barns blazed, and ships foundered on a stormy red sea. Redwall

I would have keeled over from this much walking a few months ago, but now it feels like I could just keep going. Five Feet Apart

I thought that would help me and lessen the stress in my life, but it didn’t. The Freedom Writers Diary

He spoke no word, but attacked, and the boat plunged and pitched from his sudden turn and lunge. A Wizard of Earthsea

The force of the rushing water sent his body plummeting back down the hole. Redwall

But if he took too great a risk, the helicopter could be shot down, plunging him and the rest of the crew to their deaths. Boots on the Ground: America's War in Vietnam

We literally fell down the remaining steps … and were almost precipitated into the water! The Hand of Fu Manchu

At last, just as the sun sank and the first of the stars began to glimmer above them, they saw the fires of the chief’s village. The Girl Who Married a Lion: and Other Tales from Africa

When she quiets down, she slumps onto the couch in the TV room and puts her face in her hands, breathing hard. Things Not Seen

In midflight the dragon-Ged raised wings, stopped, and stooped as the hawk stoops, talons outstretched downward, striking and bearing the other down by neck and flank. A Wizard of Earthsea

I stumbled and fell down to one knee. The Honest Truth

"These islands are always subsiding even when they're growing. Once any volcano stops erupting they continue to sink. We just don't know when Kaena went underwater."
– Reuters

It was as if the trees couldn’t wait to fall over, as if their sole purpose in the universal scheme of things was to grow big enough to topple with a really good, splintering crash. A Walk in the Woods

I run to Will, our bodies colliding, our feet giving way as we tumble to the ice, laughing as we land together. Five Feet Apart