take the fall
To willingly lose a match, as in a fixed fight.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“The boxer agreed to take the fall in the third round.”
“The manager pressured the athlete to take the fall, but he refused to lose the match on purpose.”
“Despite his reputation for integrity, the veteran fighter ultimately chose to take the fall, sacrificing his professional honor to settle his mounting debts.”
- 01
be taken ill
To become ill.
- 02
catch a falling knife
To buy a financial instrument whose price is falling rapidly.
- 03
cross to take up
Alternative form of cross to bear.
- 04
fall apart
To be emotionally in crisis.
- 05
fall around
To fall over continually, especially through drunkenness, clumsiness, or incompetence.
- 06
fall asleep
To be affected by paresthesia; to go numb.
- 07
fall at the last hurdle
To fail near the end of an activity, a project, etc.
- 08
fall behind
To be late (for a regular event)
Last updated August 10, 2026