# fall around

CEFR B2 · Phrasal verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/fall-around
Updated: 2026-10-22

## Definition

to laugh so much that you lose control of your body or to act in a very silly, clumsy way because you are having fun. You use this when something is so funny you can't stay still.

For teachers: To be overcome with laughter or to behave in a boisterous, clumsy manner due to extreme amusement. This intransitive phrasal verb is frequently used in the progressive aspect and often collocates with the present participle 'laughing'.

## Examples

- We all fell around when he told that ridiculous story.
- The children were falling around in the garden, exhausted from laughing at their own silly games.
- The comedy troupe's physical antics had the spectators falling around in the aisles, unable to contain their mirth as the performance reached its peak.

## Pitfalls

- Not "They fell around of laughing." but "They fell around laughing." — The phrasal verb is followed directly by the -ing form without the preposition 'of'.

## Usage notes

- Usually followed by the participle 'laughing' or used in the context of chaotic, informal humor.
- Teaching tip: This is a less common variant of the British idiom 'fall about'; it is a good opportunity to show how 'around' and 'about' are often interchangeable in phrasal verbs.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.