To argue with someone and stop being friendly or close with them.
I fell out with my best friend over something silly, and we haven't spoken in weeks.
A: You seem upset. What happened? B: I fell out with my brother last night. We had a big argument.
Honestly, I try not to fall out with people, but sometimes disagreements happen, especially with close friends.
Common mistake
✗I fell out from my best friend.
✓I fell out with my best friend.
You 'fall out WITH' someone — not 'from'.
Tell it apart
They fell out over money.
argued and went cold
The money fell out of my pocket.
literally dropped out
Use 'fall out with' to talk about arguments with friends, family, or colleagues, not romantic breakups.'Fall out' is about losing a friendly relationship after an argument, while 'break up' is used for ending romantic relationships.
To happen or occur as a direct or indirect result of something, especially in formal or abstract contexts.
Several unexpected challenges fell out of the committee's decision to restructure the department.
A: What issues fell out of the merger last year? B: Mostly logistical complications and some staff redundancies.
It is important to consider the social and economic changes that may fall out of implementing such a policy.
Common mistake
✗We'll see how it falls out from this.
✓We'll see how things fall out. / how it turns out.
This formal sense is intransitive — 'how things fall out', no 'from this'.
Tell it apart
We'll see how things fall out.
how they turn out — formal
We'll see how things turn out.
everyday equivalent
'Fall out' in this sense is formal and typically used in academic, legal, or policy discussions to describe outcomes or consequences that emerge from a situation. It is not used in everyday conversation.This sense is abstract and formal, describing results or consequences, unlike the B1 sense which refers to personal relationships breaking down after an argument.