free fall

NOUN

rapid decline or descent

Synonyms

WEAK

collapse decline dive drop nosedive plummet plummeting plunge sag slump

Antonyms

WEAK

upturn

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.

After touching an all-time high around $125,000 in October, bitcoin went into free fall, and its spectacular rally was matched by an equally dramatic decline.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 22, 2026

Software and services stocks have been in free fall for weeks, dragging the iShares Expanded Tech-Software Sector ETF to the lowest levels in nearly a year and more than 30% from its mid-September peak.

From Barron's • Feb. 13, 2026

With a sudden end to foreign exchange earnings, Venezuelan GDP went into the kind of free fall you rarely see outside war, setting off a humanitarian crisis that brought millions to the brink of starvation.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 7, 2025

But gifted playwrights know how to read the signs of a society in free fall.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 7, 2025

Pond took them up a hill and jumped, sending them into a short free fall.

From "Healer of the Water Monster" by Brian Young