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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2
as in deterioration
a change to a lower state or level
the gradual downfall of the Roman Empire
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in demise
a loss of status
an ill-advised speech that proved to be the cause of the candidate's 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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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of downfall
Lucas retains his hold on the lucrative smack market largely because of his ability to not attract attention; his eventual downfall is hastened by the regrettable decision to stand out in a crowd for once and rock a chinchilla fur coat and matching hat at a prizefight.
—
David Fear, Rolling Stone, 1 Dec. 2024
But the Vietnam War and his ego were Johnson's downfall, Harris said.
—Russell Contreras, Axios, 24 Nov. 2024
The black comedy, which previously won the Horizons sidebar at the Venice Film Festival, is set in 1989 during the festive season that immediately precedes the downfall of the Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceauşescu.
—John Bleasdale, Variety, 23 Nov. 2024
In both verses, Lamar raps about how vices like women, gluttony, and drugs led to their downfalls.
—Justin Curto, Vulture, 22 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for downfall 
David Fear, Rolling Stone, 1 Dec. 2024
But the Vietnam War and his ego were Johnson's downfall, Harris said.
—Russell Contreras, Axios, 24 Nov. 2024
The black comedy, which previously won the Horizons sidebar at the Venice Film Festival, is set in 1989 during the festive season that immediately precedes the downfall of the Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceauşescu.
—John Bleasdale, Variety, 23 Nov. 2024
In both verses, Lamar raps about how vices like women, gluttony, and drugs led to their downfalls.
—Justin Curto, Vulture, 22 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for downfall
Recent Examples of Synonyms for downfall
Noun
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That patch lives on largely unmodified, the way chunks of ancient versions of Windows, including that blue screen of death, still occasionally poke out of today’s PCs.Jonathan L. Zittrain, The Atlantic, 17 Dec. 2024
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It was assigned the Thursday 8 p.m. time slot of death and lasted two episodes before being pulled.Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 17 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Coined as far back as 1854 by Henry David Thoreau in Walden, the idea of mental deterioration from trivial distractions has never been more relevant.Mark Travers, Forbes, 6 Dec. 2024
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Tedeschi credits Park Road with heroic work on the Maysles footage, which was delivered to them in various stages of deterioration.Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 5 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Global fear and loathing of Islamism is preventing a genuine wave of celebration over the demise of a butcher.Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 8 Dec. 2024
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Not waiting for predators to leave the area before birthing may also play a role in a newborn fish’s demise.Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 6 Dec. 2024
Noun
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One of the most notable was May 20, 2023, in Foxborough, Massachusetts, when the singer pushed puddles of rain off her piano.Bryan West, USA TODAY, 7 Dec. 2024
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Luckily, according to the National Weather Service, rain is not in the forecast for Saturday night.Olivia Rose, The Arizona Republic, 7 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Looting and destruction Roosevelt signed the Antiquities Act after a generation of lobbying by educators and scientists who wanted to protect sites from commercial artifact looting and haphazard collecting by individuals.Susan Montoya Bryan, Los Angeles Times, 9 Dec. 2024
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The destruction comes as Russia continued to advance into Ukrainian territory, while taking heavy casualties.Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 8 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Our region has been plagued for far too long by foreign interference, wars, sectarian conflicts, terrorism, drug trafficking, water scarcity, refugee crises, and environmental degradation.Mohammad Javad Zarif, Foreign Affairs, 2 Dec. 2024
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These novel electrolytes are designed to be much less susceptible to degradation, offering a more stable electrolyte-environment interface.Matthew Dawson, Forbes, 26 Nov. 2024
Noun
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After 50 years as a chief executive officer of G-III Apparel Group, Morris Goldfarb has developed a zen-like approach to fashion — an industry that’s always chasing the next new thing and is filled with quarter-to-quarter ups and downs.Evan Clark, WWD, 10 Dec. 2024
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What followed was a series of ups and downs that tested Suzanne’s resilience.Cindy Krischer Goodman, Sun Sentinel, 10 Dec. 2024
Noun
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West Michigan along Lake Michigan is under a winter storm warning until 7 p.m. Thursday.Tanya Wildt, Detroit Free Press, 12 Dec. 2024
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Meanwhile, other portions of the United States are bracing for winter storms.Joseph Epstein, Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Downfall.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/downfall. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
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