fallen to knees

Meanings

1. 1phrasefixed phrase

   having dropped down so that the knees rest on the ground, often suddenly

   Grammar: Used after have/has/had; the subject is a person or group: she has fallen to her knees.

   Patterns

   • have/has fallen to knees
   • fallen to knees in something

   After the long climb, she had fallen to her knees in exhaustion.

   The crowd had fallen to knees as the procession passed.

   He has fallen to knees in prayer every morning since the accident.

2. 2phraseidiomfigurative

   having given up resistance or accepted defeat, often in a figurative way

   Grammar: Often used with 'before' or 'in the face of': the company fell to its knees before the competition.

   Patterns

   • fallen to knees before someone/something
   • fallen to knees in the face of something

   The government had fallen to knees under international pressure.

   After months of losses, the team had fallen to knees and admitted defeat.

Common combinations

fallen to knees in prayer

The monks had fallen to knees in prayer at dawn.

fallen to knees in exhaustion

The runners had fallen to knees in exhaustion at the finish line.

fallen to knees before

The rebels had fallen to knees before the king.

Synonyms and how they differ

knelt

Knelt is the simple past of kneel and describes the action itself, while 'fallen to knees' emphasizes the sudden movement and the resulting state.

crouched

Crouched means bending low with the knees bent but not necessarily touching the ground, so it is less specific than 'fallen to knees'.

Opposites

Word family

kneel verb

To go down or rest on the knees.

kneeling adjective

In a position with the knees on the ground.

Commonly confused: fallen to knees or kneel?

Practice

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Write a sentence using “fallen to knees”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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