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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in deterioration
a change to a lower state or level
the gradual downfall of the Roman Empire
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of downfall
Point guard Pat Bala scored 13 points San Juan Hills contributed to its downfall with 19 runovers and by giving up 15 offensive rebounds to the Gators.
—
Steve Fryer, Oc Register, 14 Mar. 2026
Many felt the loss of DeRosa and the addition of Milton Bradley led to the Cubs’ downfall in 2009.
—Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 13 Mar. 2026
What looks to have caused his downfall was a refusal by smaller racecourse owners — and in particular Arena Racing Company (ARC), whose 16 courses include Chepstow, Newcastle and Wolverhampton — to support the idea of an independent BHA board.
—Ian King, CNBC, 11 Mar. 2026
The only downfall is the timing.
—Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 11 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for downfall
Steve Fryer, Oc Register, 14 Mar. 2026
Many felt the loss of DeRosa and the addition of Milton Bradley led to the Cubs’ downfall in 2009.
—Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 13 Mar. 2026
What looks to have caused his downfall was a refusal by smaller racecourse owners — and in particular Arena Racing Company (ARC), whose 16 courses include Chepstow, Newcastle and Wolverhampton — to support the idea of an independent BHA board.
—Ian King, CNBC, 11 Mar. 2026
The only downfall is the timing.
—Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 11 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for downfall
Recent Examples of Synonyms for downfall
Noun
-
The abnormality has also been linked to deaths in the National Football League and in other sports such as hockey and soccer.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Nancy Metayer Bowen was a politically-ambitious trailblazer for a new generation of Haitian Americans in South Florida before her tragic death, which is being criminally investigated, was announced Wednesday.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Built in 1948, the bridge is not as old as others in the city, but the concrete is in bad condition as a result of years of deterioration and weather, said Keith Echternach, DPW program manager of Bridge Design.—
Alysa Guffey,
IndyStar,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Years of economic deterioration have tipped into something more acute.—
Thomas E. Franklin,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Video of Raftery's stunned reaction to the scene on the court quickly went viral on social media, which promptly delivered jokes about the 82-year-old's potential demise.—
Andrew McCarty,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
-
The scouts blame the ascension of Rob Manfred to MLB commissioner in 2015 as a key reason for their demise.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
More light rain is expected during the afternoon as temperatures plunge.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Heavy rain can supercharge invasive grasses, crowding out the blooms.—
Lila Seidman,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The Sacramento County Parks Department says there's been a big increase in vandalism and destruction of the nature preserve due to unauthorized use of off-road bicycles and e-bikes.—
James Taylor,
CBS News,
31 Mar. 2026
-
After the sport led to the destruction of her family four years earlier, Mallory’s focus is on her mom, her sisters and the dead-end job that keeps the lights on.—
Ashlee Conour,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Using a combination of durable ceramic materials and specialized membranes, the filtration unit can remove extremely small contaminants while maintaining stable operation through a self-cleaning thermal mechanism that prevents buildup and degradation over time.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Coupled with a significant degradation of Iranian military power, something already underway, these objectives would constitute an acceptable end to the war.—
Colin Pascal,
Baltimore Sun,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
There were ups and downs in his first season — easily forgiven as a newcomer to the league and the level, having previously managed in Germany’s second division — but year two has been more turbulent.—
Andy Naylor,
New York Times,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Harvey can play on passing downs.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Even minor changes in clouds, wind or storms can force delays, especially for a mission of this scale.—
Brandi D. Addison,
USA Today,
1 Apr. 2026
-
The probability of lightning strikes rises as a thunderstorm approaches and peaks when the storm is directly above.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
1 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Downfall.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/downfall. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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