From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishfall on/upon somebody/something phrasal verb1 RESPONSIBLEif a duty or job falls on someone, they are responsible for doing it The responsibility usually falls on the mother.2 literarySTART DOING something to eagerly start eating or using something She fell on the food as if she hadn’t eaten for days.3 literaryATTACK to suddenly attack or get hold of someone Some of the older boys fell on him and broke his glasses.4 somebody’s eyes/gaze/glance fall(s) on something if your eyes etc fall on something, you notice it His eyes fell on her bag. ‘Are you going somewhere?’5 fall on hard/bad times to experience difficulties and problems in your life such as not having enough money The aim is to raise money for workers who have fallen on hard times.6 fall on your sword to leave your job because your organization has done something wrong, and you are taking responsibility for it It was clear that the prime minister wanted her to fall on her sword. → fall on deaf ears at deaf(5) → fall→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
fall on/upon • Electronics stocks also fell on concern the decline in U.• A lot of pressure falls on Hutchinson, who did all the right things in the final drive last week.• It seems that this is a case that will stand or fall on its own particular facts.• Rooted so deep it's in danger of the tree falling on its unknowing pig head.• Easter falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon on or after March 21.• A great grief has fallen upon the kingdom and there is deep apprehension for the future.• Multiple shadows of him fell on the perimeter wall, leaping like pale giants.• Angered I fell upon them and I killed them.somebody’s eyes/gaze/glance fall(s) on something• A fierce, terrified elation raced through her veins as her eyes fell on the knife only an inch away from her hand.• As he scanned the room for potential defenders his eyes fell on Father Ed Dougherty.• Does the gaze fall on the impaired body or on social barriers?• He greeted her, his eyes falling on her again for an instant and then skittering away.• He helped me shift the tea-chests and his eyes fell on your clothes as though dazed in a perfumed garden.• Its huge eyes fell on the scrap of paper on the floor.• Looking around, his glance fell on the twigs scattered on the ground where Cassowary had thrown them.• My eyes fell on the bed and to my horror something began slowly to stir under the blanket.fall on hard/bad times• At 21 she is set for stardom, but she still finds time for people who have fallen on hard times.• Even by political standards, Gingrich very quickly fell on hard times.• Interestingly, though, the bottom 10 includes many household names fallen on hard times.• With the outbreak of war, the shop fell on harder times.• Worse, because of Jack the father has fallen on hard times and must meet all kinds of debts.• I assumed that if a person fell on hard times some one else in the wider family would rescue them.• The model cities program fell on hard times soon after it began.• The Cambridge University Automobile Club had clearly fallen on hard times, too. 