fall and perish; be defeated and destroyed
Meanings
1 sense · 5 examplesverb
to be defeated and perish; to fall and collapse
formalMost commonly used to describe the collapse of a regime, army, or ruling group due to military or political defeat, often used in formal historical or literary contexts.
In the late Qin Dynasty, uprisings erupted across the country, which eventually led to the fall of the Qin Dynasty.
This isolated army finally fell after running out of ammunition and food.
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If a ruler is stubborn and self-opinionated, ignoring the hardships of the people, they will eventually bring about their own downfall.
During the Three Kingdoms period, Shu Han was severely weakened after its disastrous defeat in the Battle of Yiling, and gradually moved toward collapse.
Many prosperous dynasties in history eventually fell due to internal corruption.