to fall upon

USAGE SUMMARY

"to fall upon" is correct and usable in written English. You can use it to describe an unexpected encounter or to indicate that something is suddenly experienced or faced. Example: "When the storm hit, we had to fall upon our emergency supplies." Alternative expressions include "to come across" and "to stumble upon."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

41 human-written examples

But another blow which might well have proved final was yet to fall upon us.

The Guardian

For his gaze to fall upon you was supposed to be reward enough.

The New York Times - Magazine

Night, enclosed in small drops of rain, began to fall upon them.

The New Yorker

What remained was a cold, unyielding surface for a writer's imaginings to fall upon: the permafrost of organised ambivalence.

The Guardian - Books

Mr. Bradley is required to fall upon a fringed hassock and clutch it when he is overcome with emotion.

The New York Times

But then Moses commanded the Israelites to fall upon their enemies and kill everyone except "women that have not known a man by lying with him".

The Guardian - Opinion

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

17 human-written examples

And when they are struck by tragedy, what do these people have to fall back upon?

The Guardian - Film

They no longer have the buffer of healthy commodity prices to fall back upon.

Independent

("We have no prescribed etiquette to fall back upon. I shall continue to be flippant," Elyot says).

The New Yorker

What is different this time is that the lowest wage workers have less than before to fall back upon.

The New York Times

And as this government has now discovered, when spin goes wrong, you are left without substance to fall back upon.

The Guardian - Opinion

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "to fall upon" to describe something happening unexpectedly or suddenly affecting someone or something. For example, "A great opportunity fell upon her lap."

Common error

Avoid using "fall on" when you mean "to fall upon". "Fall on" typically refers to something physically landing on a surface or a date. "Fall upon" often implies an event, responsibility, or realization affecting someone.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "to fall upon" functions primarily as a verb phrase. It describes an action or state of being, often involving something unexpected or impactful. As seen in Ludwig, it can denote an event occurring, a responsibility being assigned, or an attack taking place.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

80%

Encyclopedias

10%

Wiki

10%

Less common in

Science

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "to fall upon" is a grammatically sound and frequently used verb phrase signifying an unexpected occurrence, an attack, or the assigning of responsibility. As Ludwig AI highlights, it appears predominantly in news and media, encyclopedias, and wiki contexts, indicating a neutral register. While "to fall upon" is correct and usable in written English, remember to choose the appropriate alternative based on the specific context, such as "to befall" or "to descend upon", to convey your intended meaning with precision.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

to befall

This alternative describes something (usually unpleasant) that happens to someone.

to descend upon

This implies a sudden or forceful arrival or attack.

to come upon

Suggests a chance encounter or discovery.

to light upon

Similar to 'come upon', but with a sense of finding something specific or desirable.

to impinge on

Indicates an encroachment or negative impact.

to strike

Describes a sudden impact or effect.

to attack

Emphasizes a direct and aggressive assault.

to encounter

Refers to a meeting, often unexpected.

to experience

Denotes undergoing or feeling something.

to be subjected to

Implies being forced to endure something.

FAQs

How can I use "to fall upon" in a sentence?

You can use "to fall upon" to describe something unexpected happening to someone, like in the sentence, "Success began to fall upon her after years of hard work."

What does "to fall upon" mean?

"To fall upon" can mean to befall, to attack, or to encounter something unexpectedly, depending on the context.

What are some alternatives to "to fall upon"?

Depending on the context, you could use alternatives like "to befall", "to descend upon", or "to come upon".

Is it correct to say 'fall on' instead of "to fall upon"?

While 'fall on' is a valid phrase, it has a different meaning. "Fall on" usually refers to a date or physical object landing on something, whereas "to fall upon" implies something happening unexpectedly or attacking.