1
as in death
something that is the cause of one's ultimate failure or loss of life an insatiable love of money would be their downfall

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4
as in rain
a steady falling of water from the sky in significant quantity we ducked under an overhang to shelter ourselves from the sudden downfall

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of downfall What People Think Opinions related to business and economic issues submitted to The Hill: Trump’s tariffs will be his own downfall Stop letting foreign executives cheat American investors You’re all caught up. Aris Folley, The Hill, 24 Mar. 2025 Both Eriksson and Capello were startled by the off-field challenge of managing England and their downfalls ultimately had little to do with footballing matters. Michael Cox, The Athletic, 20 Mar. 2025 The sheer velocity of Assad's downfall in just 11 days at the hands of a shocking rebel advance laid bare the weakness of his ailing government at a time when allies were spread thin on other fronts. Mark Davis, Newsweek, 14 Mar. 2025 Conventional wisdom attributes Cromwell’s downfall to his role in organizing the disastrous match. Meilan Solly, Smithsonian Magazine, 20 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for downfall
Recent Examples of Synonyms for downfall
Noun
  • Jury selection for Karen Read's retrial on murder and other charges in the death of her Boston police officer boyfriend, John O'Keefe, resumes Thursday with just one more seat to fill.
    Michael Ruiz, FOXNews.com, 10 Apr. 2025
  • William has been regularly using his father’s lawyers Harbottle & Lewis and its partner, Gerrard Tyrrell — and made the move to Mishcon de Reya, which represented Princess Diana in her divorce from Charles a year before her accidental death.
    Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 10 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • As leaders in the industry who have spent countless hours underground repairing failing gas lines, our licensed gas contractors have witnessed firsthand the deterioration of our state’s natural gas infrastructure.
    Harley Flack, Baltimore Sun, 3 Apr. 2025
  • Not spending enough time in the two deep stages of slumber might speed up the deterioration of parts of the brain associated with Alzheimer’s disease, a new study found.
    Daniel Wine, CNN Money, 31 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Republicans celebrated the demise of Black Lives Matter Plaza, which was completely dismantled and repainted.
    Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 1 Apr. 2025
  • Some experts believe that cutting personnel at Social Security will hasten the demise of the whole system.
    Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 24 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Stormy weather pattern continues into the weekend The weather is expected to remain active for the rest of the week, with more chances of rain possible.
    Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 31 Mar. 2025
  • Along with the other weather threats, the NWS said there will be several days of heavy rain this week from Thursday night through Saturday, April 5.
    Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 31 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • On March 28, an individual who had been missing since Helene's destruction was found and identified as 66-year-old Russell Wilber, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services confirmed on Wednesday.
    Megan Forrester, ABC News, 2 Apr. 2025
  • The path of destruction stretched about 11 miles in the city outside Tulsa, and radar indicated a possible tornado had formed, according to a statement from city government.
    Christopher Cann, USA Today, 2 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Sharon Perez, senior business development manager at Lenzing Group, noted that there are three potential ways to design with a product’s end of life in mind: circularity, degradation and durability.
    Sarah Jones, Sourcing Journal, 1 Apr. 2025
  • Many countries and regions are recognizing the importance of integrating conservation principles into their agricultural practices, particularly in areas facing significant agricultural challenges due to climate change, soil degradation, and resource scarcity.
    Ellen Choi, Forbes.com, 30 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • The first eight seasons of Chicago Med featured the dramatic ups and downs between Dr. Will Halstead (Nick Gehlfuss) and Dr. Natalie Manning (Torrey DeVitto), and everyone tuned in to watch ED nurse April Sexton (Yaya DaCosta) finally tie the knot with Dr. Ethan Choi (Brian Tee).
    Emily Blackwood, People.com, 3 Apr. 2025
  • Bristol Myers Squibb: Two Harbors Investment: American Express: In general, dividends are not always predictable, following the ups and downs of company profits over time.
    Dividend Channel, Forbes.com, 2 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • The storm system is the latest in a string of damaging weather this week that began Wednesday and will continue into Sunday.
    Amir Mahmoud, Arkansas Online, 5 Apr. 2025
  • Earlier in March, at least 40 deaths were recorded during the cross-county storm system with thousands left without electricity from Georgia to Michigan, as per ABC News.
    Tereza Shkurtaj, People.com, 5 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Downfall.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/downfall. Accessed 13 Apr. 2025.

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