FELLING Synonyms: 100 Similar and Opposite Words

felling

verb

present participle of fell

as in dropping

to strike (someone) so forcefully as to cause a fall a champion boxer who was shockingly felled in the first round

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in mowing

to bring down by cutting the settlers began the daunting task of felling the mighty trees that blanketed the island

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in killing

to deprive of life the quest for a cure for malaria, the disease that felled so many during the digging of the Panama Canal

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of felling In wildfire prone areas, that can mean felling trees and clearing vegetation to create a defense zone around homes and buildings. — Contessa Brewer,dawn Giel, CNBC, 16 Dec. 2025 While Healey, 54, was bogged down over issues like Canadian energy, trade, tourism and tariffs, as well as meetings with Canadian premiers, Wu, 40, was in Nova Scotia felling a huge Christmas tree. — Peter Lucas, Boston Herald, 24 Nov. 2025 This year, the Pahang state government has led enforcement operations that involved felling decades-old durian trees and issued eviction notices to farmers, which the farmers have disputed. — Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 21 Nov. 2025 Grainier‘s an itinerant lumber man who worked the Pacific Northwest at the turn of the 20th century, felling timber and building railroads. — Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 14 Oct. 2025 However, the miniature accessories didn’t seem to stop a group of humans from felling and butchering the elephant. — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 8 Oct. 2025 Onscreen, a bridezilla sent an equivalent table soaring through a banquet hall, felling at least one chandelier. — Vince Aletti, New Yorker, 3 Oct. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for felling

Verb

At the halfway mark, Bullock took the lead, with Esponda dropping to fifth due to limited difficulty in her uneven bars routine.

— Caroline Price, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2026
And the department has also seen several high-profile cases unravel recently, including dropping vandalism charges against a former Olympic canoeist and others over the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.

— NPR Staff, NPR, 8 Aug. 2026

Definition of dropping

Verb

Prosecutors say after killing her children, Clancy cut her wrists and neck and jumped from a second-story window, leaving her partially paralyzed.

— Andi Babineau, CNN Money, 8 Aug. 2026
Militants affiliated with the Islamic State group attacked a village in Congo near the border with Uganda early Saturday, killing at least 13 people and burning and looting homes, a local civil society group said.

— ABC News, ABC News, 8 Aug. 2026

Definition of killing

Verb

His penchant for downing bottles of wine throughout his life seemed reasonable.

— Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 30 July 2026
In England, an 18-year-old woman suffered three cardiac arrests after downing 10 Jägerbombs, a cocktail that combines an energy drink with the spirit Jägermeister.

— Ashley Okwuosa, STAT, 30 July 2026

Definition of downing

Verb

The fire ripped through hillside neighborhoods, destroying mansions with spectacular ocean views.

— ABC News, ABC News, 4 Aug. 2026
At that tipping point, the only solution is for oil prices to surge, destroying enough demand for oil that the market can return to equilibrium.

— David Goldman, CNN Money, 3 Aug. 2026

Definition of destroying

Verb

The 27-year-old Adell has 16 homers and 62 RBIs this season, one year after hitting a career-best 37 homers with 98 RBIs.

— David Brandt, Chicago Tribune, 4 Aug. 2026
Across Europe, other historic objects have also been revealed this summer due to the record-breaking heat and crippling droughts hitting the continent’s waterways.

— Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 4 Aug. 2026

Definition of hitting

Verb

Symbolism Historically, dragon-slaying stories portrayed the treasure hoard as the ultimate test of a hero’s character.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 24 July 2026
Foster, 58, was ordered held without bail on Thursday for slaying 39-year-old Julia Anderson during a property dispute, cops said.

— Emma Seiwell, New York Daily News, 18 July 2026

Definition of slaying

Verb

The foul weather sent trees toppling across the city, including on the Upper West Side in Manhattan and in Woodside, Queens, where a food truck was struck by a fallen tree, according to ABC.

— Theodore Parisienne, New York Daily News, 3 Aug. 2026
Watkins explains that cutting the roots can also make the tree less stable and increase its risk of wind damage or toppling in a storm.

— Samantha Johnson, Martha Stewart, 2 Aug. 2026

Definition of toppling

Browse Nearby Words

fell (in)

felling

fell in with

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Style

“Felling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/felling. Accessed 10 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of felling

verb

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