Definition of downfallnext
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
3
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 One major contributor, the docuseries seems to argue, is the downfall of the prosecution at the hands of its own witnesses. Los Angeles Times, 5 June 2026 As Nick Saban mentioned, the former Alabama coach insists that the current system is going to be the downfall of athletic programs across the country. Trey Wallace Outkick, FOXNews.com, 3 June 2026 Last month, the government also charged a special forces soldier who made over $400,000 from Polymarket trades betting on the downfall of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Wyatte Grantham-Philips, Fortune, 29 May 2026 Spirit’s downfall affected 4,853 employees in Broward, Miami-Dade and Orange counties. News Service Of Florida, Sun Sentinel, 28 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for downfall
Recent Examples of Synonyms for downfall
Noun
  • It was first adopted in 2017 with a goal of reaching zero traffic deaths by 2027.
    Brady Halbleib, CBS News, 18 June 2026
  • In an effort to conceal the causes of death, Sit impersonated the owners and had the dogs cremated, according to prosecutors.
    Seamus Bozeman Follow, Los Angeles Times, 18 June 2026
Noun
  • Oslo University Hospital on June 5 said Mette-Marit had been placed on a waiting list for a lung transplant after a significant deterioration in her health that likely gave her only a year left to live without the surgery.
    CNN Money, CNN Money, 17 June 2026
  • That moment revealed profound psychiatric deterioration and human suffering.
    Justyna Rzewinski, New York Daily News, 16 June 2026
Noun
  • In a sense, Western multinationals unwittingly created their chief global competitors, along with the conditions for their own demise.
    Andy Browne, semafor.com, 23 June 2026
  • Iserson also touched on Ponies‘ modest viewership, which ultimately led to its demise despite strong critical acclaim.
    Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 23 June 2026
Noun
  • The remnants of Tropical Storm Arthur battered parts of the southeastern United States with drenching rains and strong wind on Thursday, tearing through buildings, flooding homes and launching water rescues along the Gulf Coast.
    CBS News, CBS News, 19 June 2026
  • The system's impacts will be felt for the next couple of days in the form of ongoing heavy, flooding rain.
    Doyle Rice, USA Today, 18 June 2026
Noun
  • David Hearn, a former Olympic canoeist, told the the Washington Post he was arrested on June 19 and charged with misdemeanor destruction of government property.
    N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 23 June 2026
  • This came on the heels of another round of tornadoes just four days earlier that leveled buildings and caused widespread destruction across the region.
    Briana Waxman, CNN Money, 22 June 2026
Noun
  • The building had long-term degradation from corrosion, too.
    Aaron Leibowitz, Miami Herald, 23 June 2026
  • Researchers worldwide continue to struggle with issues such as low ionic conductivity, interface degradation, manufacturing complexity, and cost.
    Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 22 June 2026
Noun
  • Offensively, Jones is a bit of a head-down scorer, but his shooting is starting to get interesting.
    John Hollinger, New York Times, 20 June 2026
  • But Johnson failed to get up-and-down for birdie on the easy par-five fifth, where Clark made eagle.
    Doug Ferguson, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2026
Noun
  • The probability of lightning strikes rises as a thunderstorm approaches and peaks when the storm is directly above.
    NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 23 June 2026
  • The camp did not timely evacuate in advance of the July 3-4, 2025, storm, despite ample opportunity to do so.
    Mateo Rosiles, USA Today, 23 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Downfall.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/downfall. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.

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