fell stroke

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.

And then – boom! – with one fell stroke of an adapter’s arbitrariness, Mr. Kelly altered the play’s ending in a way that crudely shrinks and simplifies its intentions.

From New York Times • Aug. 2, 2010

At this rate, you could efface the whole Decalogue and at one fell stroke destroy all laws, human and divine.

From Explanation of Catholic Morals A Concise, Reasoned, and Popular Exposition of Catholic Morals by Stapleton, John H. (John Henry)

Now, at one fell stroke, his villainy lay exposed.

From Five Thousand Dollars Reward by Pinkerton, A. Frank [pseud.]

From the time the falling cornice of snow had tossed up in a puff of smoke ten miles away to the fell stroke of the titanic leveller of the ages—not ten seconds had passed.

From The Freebooters of the Wilderness by Laut, Agnes C. (Agnes Christina)

The bank broke, and in one fell stroke he lost all the savings of a life.

From A Sweet Girl Graduate by Meade, L. T.