fall out — have an argument and stop being friendly
phrasal verbB1IELTS 5+neutralcommon
To argue with someone and stop being friendly or close with them.
Say it like a native
Textbook My sister and I had a serious disagreement and are no longer on good terms.
Native My sister and I fell out and haven't spoken since.
'Fall out' is the natural verb for friends or family arguing and going cold; the formal version is wordy.
Pattern: fall out (with someone)
In use
- I fell out with my best friend over something silly, and we haven't spoken in weeks.relationships
- Honestly, I try not to fall out with people, but sometimes disagreements happen, especially with close friends.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ I fell out from my best friend.
✓ I fell out with my best friend.
You 'fall out WITH' someone — not 'from'.
Common collocations
fall out (with/over)— with him, over money, badly, years ago
Don't confuse it
'Fall out' is about losing a friendly relationship after an argument, while 'break up' is used for ending romantic relationships.