befell
bi-ˈfel 
bē-
; befallen
bi-ˈfȯ-lən
bē-
: to happen especially as if by fate
: to happen to
the fate that befell them
Synonyms
Examples of befall in a Sentence
It's sad to think of the unhappy fate that befell him.
The drought was only one of many hardships to befall the small country.
Recent Examples on the Web
And dread at what might befall the United States and Israel during the remainder of this presidency.
—
Matthew Continetti, National Review, 11 May 2024
In his interview with The Star and with the local conservative radio host Ray Stevens, Johnson often veered into a more macro explanation of the woes that had befallen his restaurant.
—David Hudnall, Kansas City Star, 8 May 2024
Blows are thrown, sacrifices are made, last-minute rescues are made and any number of CGI disasters befall our heroes before a semblance of order is put back in place.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 8 May 2024
The same fate befell Rihanna, who didn't attend the event but nevertheless appeared in social media images wearing an elaborate outfit there.
—Chiara Crescenzi, WIRED, 7 May 2024
In their valley, a special protection prevents any violence from befalling them.
—Tessa Fontaine, Peoplemag, 7 May 2024
But when a tragedy befalls the hotel, Nina is propelled in a relentless spiral of lies and manipulations.
—Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 6 May 2024
Major and Thomas both appear in a mid-credits scene where moviegoers find out what fate ultimately befalls the bad guys; the actors play officers who show up to arrest them.
—Kimberly Nordyke, The Hollywood Reporter, 5 May 2024
To be sure, the half-phone-sized orange device has not received the critical mauling that befell the Humane AI Pin, another wearable AI assistant that recently launched.
—David Meyer, Fortune, 2 May 2024
Matthew Continetti, National Review, 11 May 2024
In his interview with The Star and with the local conservative radio host Ray Stevens, Johnson often veered into a more macro explanation of the woes that had befallen his restaurant.
—David Hudnall, Kansas City Star, 8 May 2024
Blows are thrown, sacrifices are made, last-minute rescues are made and any number of CGI disasters befall our heroes before a semblance of order is put back in place.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 8 May 2024
The same fate befell Rihanna, who didn't attend the event but nevertheless appeared in social media images wearing an elaborate outfit there.
—Chiara Crescenzi, WIRED, 7 May 2024
In their valley, a special protection prevents any violence from befalling them.
—Tessa Fontaine, Peoplemag, 7 May 2024
But when a tragedy befalls the hotel, Nina is propelled in a relentless spiral of lies and manipulations.
—Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 6 May 2024
Major and Thomas both appear in a mid-credits scene where moviegoers find out what fate ultimately befalls the bad guys; the actors play officers who show up to arrest them.
—Kimberly Nordyke, The Hollywood Reporter, 5 May 2024
To be sure, the half-phone-sized orange device has not received the critical mauling that befell the Humane AI Pin, another wearable AI assistant that recently launched.
—David Meyer, Fortune, 2 May 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'befall.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Befall.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/befall. Accessed 17 May. 2024.
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