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
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
Eric Giesecke, Forbes.com, 13 June 2025
Apple this week provided a glimpse into a feature that solves one of the biggest drawbacks of passkeys, the industry-wide standard for website and app authentication that isn't susceptible to credential phishing and other attacks targeting passwords.
—Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 12 June 2025
Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 17 June 2025
The forthcoming reboot will follow Malcolm (Frankie Muniz) and his daughter (newcomer Keeley Karsten) as they are drawn back into the boisterous family’s chaos when Hal and Lois (Jane Kaczmarek) demand his presence at their 40th wedding anniversary festivities.
—Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 25 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for drawback
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Noun
While the drawbacks of legacy software are well documented, there are some valid reasons some organizations choose to keep it—at least for now.
—Eric Giesecke, Forbes.com, 13 June 2025
Apple this week provided a glimpse into a feature that solves one of the biggest drawbacks of passkeys, the industry-wide standard for website and app authentication that isn't susceptible to credential phishing and other attacks targeting passwords.
—Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 12 June 2025
Verb
Meanwhile, defenseman John Klingberg and forward Kasperi Kapanen are drawing back into the lineup for Troy Stecher and Jeff Skinner, respectively.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 17 June 2025
The forthcoming reboot will follow Malcolm (Frankie Muniz) and his daughter (newcomer Keeley Karsten) as they are drawn back into the boisterous family’s chaos when Hal and Lois (Jane Kaczmarek) demand his presence at their 40th wedding anniversary festivities.
—Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 25 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for drawback
Cite this Entry
“Drawback.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/drawback. Accessed 25 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
drawback
noun
draw·back
ˈdrȯ-ˌbak 
: an undesirable feature : disadvantage entry 1
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