nightfall

noun

night·​fall ˈnīt-ˌfȯl How to pronounce nightfall (audio)
Synonyms of nightfallnext
: the close of the day : dusk

Synonyms of nightfall

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of nightfall in a Sentence

When nightfall came, we were still waiting for the electricity to come back on. since you aren't taking a flashlight, make sure you're back at camp by nightfall
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The Perseid meteor shower reaches its annual peak, meaning that observers under clear skies who stick it out into nightfall will be able to see yet another beautiful spectacle. — Claire Cameron & Lee Billings, Scientific American, 12 Aug. 2026 It was named the Indian Creek Fire and a large smoke plume could be seen before nightfall on Tuesday. — Jesse Sarles, CBS News, 5 Aug. 2026 After pulling into their campsite well after nightfall, the couple climbed into bed, wondering what and who surrounded them. — Sarah Silbiger, CNN Money, 25 July 2026 The medical, transportation and public-safety operation has grown more intricate as RAGBRAI moves a rolling city across Iowa each morning and rebuilds it somewhere else by nightfall. — Nick El Hajj, Des Moines Register, 25 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for nightfall

Word History

First Known Use

1700, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of nightfall was in 1700

Rhymes for nightfall

See All Rhymes for nightfall

Browse Nearby Words

nightery
nightfall
night fighter
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Nightfall.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nightfall. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

nightfall

noun
night·​fall -ˌfȯl How to pronounce nightfall (audio)
: the coming of night : dusk
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of apiary

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All