fall out upon
C1 formal inseparable transitive
In simple words
To suddenly attack someone, or to come across someone by chance (old-fashioned).
Literal meaning: To fall outward and land upon someone — physically attacking or encountering.
Meanings
1 C1
idiomatic
formal
Archaic: to rush out and attack someone or something.
"The ambushers fell out upon the merchant convoy as it passed through the narrow gorge."
Grammar: inseparable
Usage notes
Largely archaic and found primarily in older texts. Not used in modern everyday speech. May appear in historical fiction or literary analysis. Modern equivalents include 'fall upon' or 'descend on'.
Commonly used with
enemy travellers strangers the town opponent
Forms
Base
fall out upon
I/you/we/they
3rd person
falls out upon
he/she/it
Past simple
fell out upon
yesterday
Past participle
fallen out upon
have + pp
-ing form
falling out upon
continuous
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Synonyms
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