1
: a refund of duties especially on an imported product subsequently exported or used to produce a product for export
2
: an objectionable feature : disadvantage
The plan's only drawback is its cost.
drew back; drawn back; drawing back; draws back
: to avoid an issue or commitment
Synonyms
Examples of drawback in a Sentence
Noun
The trip sounds great, but cost is a major drawback.
this plan has only one drawback: it's unworkable
Recent Examples on the Web
Sam Meredith, CNBC, 16 Oct. 2024
Being the child of a successful comedian sometimes has its drawbacks.
—Jp Mangalindan, People.com, 15 Oct. 2024
Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 Oct. 2024
The big picture: The price gap between fast-food and fast-casual restaurants has been shrinking, which spurred the flurry of value meals at chains including Burger King, Taco Bell and KFC to draw back customers.
—Kelly Tyko, Axios, 12 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for drawback 
Noun
One major drawback with solid-state batteries, Wood Mackenzie’s Reid said, is the swelling of the battery during charging and, ultimately, the degradation of the cell after extensive recharging.
—Sam Meredith, CNBC, 16 Oct. 2024
Being the child of a successful comedian sometimes has its drawbacks.
—Jp Mangalindan, People.com, 15 Oct. 2024
Verb
Dense, humid forests drew back as grasslands spread in the cooler, drier climate conditions.
—Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 Oct. 2024
The big picture: The price gap between fast-food and fast-casual restaurants has been shrinking, which spurred the flurry of value meals at chains including Burger King, Taco Bell and KFC to draw back customers.
—Kelly Tyko, Axios, 12 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for drawback
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'drawback.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near drawback
Cite this Entry
“Drawback.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/drawback. Accessed 25 Oct. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
drawback
noun
draw·back
ˈdrȯ-ˌbak 
: an undesirable feature : disadvantage entry 1
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