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
Leave Your Mess at Home by Tolani Akinola Estranged eldest sister Sola Longe returns home to Chicago in secret after her public downfall, just as each of her siblings is quietly unraveling in their own way.
—
Kait Hanson,
Southern Living,
19 June 2026
The second episode… [is about] the fall of the group, precipitating [John Pearson’s] leaving, the downfall.
—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
16 June 2026
That commodification of wildlife would lead to the downfall of nearly every large mammal in North America.
—
Literary Hub,
10 June 2026
His demanding job was ultimately the downfall of their relationship, and a common theme in the early seasons of the show.
—
Rachel Labonte,
Entertainment Weekly,
9 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for downfall
Kait Hanson,
Southern Living,
19 June 2026
The second episode… [is about] the fall of the group, precipitating [John Pearson’s] leaving, the downfall.
—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
16 June 2026
That commodification of wildlife would lead to the downfall of nearly every large mammal in North America.
—
Literary Hub,
10 June 2026
His demanding job was ultimately the downfall of their relationship, and a common theme in the early seasons of the show.
—
Rachel Labonte,
Entertainment Weekly,
9 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for downfall
Recent Examples of Synonyms for downfall
Noun
-
Juan Andres Gonzalez, 18, is facing a first-degree murder charge in the stabbing death.—
Devoun Cetoute,
Miami Herald,
25 June 2026
-
The last goal came at the death, toward the end of stoppage time.—
Marlene Lenthang,
NBC news,
25 June 2026
Noun
-
The National Institute of Standards and Technology said long-term corrosion and the failure of multiple slab-to-column connections likely contributed to a progressive collapse after weeks of structural deterioration.—
Sergio Candido,
CBS News,
24 June 2026
-
Heston is at his most gleefully cynical as Robert Thorn, a police detective who lives and works in a New York City decimated by environmental deterioration and dwindling resources.—
Jim Hemphill,
IndieWire,
23 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
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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