fall out — result as consequence
phrasal verbC2IELTS 8+formalrare
To happen or occur as a direct or indirect result of something, especially in formal or abstract contexts.
Say it like a native
Textbook It remains to be seen what will result from these negotiations.
Native It remains to be seen how things will fall out.
'Fall out' meaning 'turn out / result' is a formal, mostly written usage; in speech people just say 'how it turns out'.
Pattern: fall out (of/from something)
In use
- Several unexpected challenges fell out of the committee's decision to restructure the department.consequences
- It is important to consider the social and economic changes that may fall out of implementing such a policy.IELTS speaking
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'.
Common collocations
how things fall out— how it falls out, as it fell out, events, matters
Don't confuse it
This sense is abstract and formal, describing results or consequences, unlike the B1 sense which refers to personal relationships breaking down after an argument.
Related
- fall out (have an argument and stop being friendly) — 'fall out' also has the more basic meaning 'have an argument and stop being friendly'; this is the advanced sense.