downfall

noun down·fall \ ˈdau̇n-ˌfȯl \

|Updated on: 19 Aug 2018

Examples: downfall in a Sentence

Definition of downfall

1 a : a sudden fall (as from power)

b : a fall (as of snow or rain) especially when sudden or heavy

2 : something that causes a downfall (as of a person)

gambling was his downfall

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downfallen

play \-ˌfȯ-lən\ adjective

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Examples of downfall in a Sentence

Their downfall was the result of several bad decisions.
Bad decision-making was their downfall.

Recent Examples of downfall from the Web

However, the same intense nature that can be so attractive to their matches may be the downfall of a relationship if an Aries gets moody and shows their temper too early.

— sophie saint thomas, Allure, "What Your Zodiac Sign Says About Your Online Dating Style," 6 July 2018
Others see it as an appropriately scornful term for a woman who was barely literate, left little for other women to emulate and led the bankrupt Qing dynasty to its downfall in a country whose government remains as male-dominated as ever.

— New York Times, "Was This Powerful Chinese Empress a Feminist Trailblazer?," 10 July 2018
The books will also begin to explore the nature of the thousands of worlds beyond the ring gate, the mysterious creators who built them, and have begun to explore their downfall.

— andrew liptak, The Verge, "Humanity inherits the galaxy in The Expanse’s season 3 finale," 29 June 2018
But in many ways, the growth of the highway system and the rapid changes in the travel industry that helped hotels proliferate also led to their downfall.

— patrick sisson, Curbed, "Motel revivalism: How hipster hoteliers created a new roadside attraction," 22 June 2018
So terrific in the recent off-Broadway premiere of Bruce Norris' The Low Road, the Nigerian-British actor here conveys little of his character's fierceness and stature, making his downfall at Iago's hand seem all too inevitable.

— frank scheck, The Hollywood Reporter, "'Othello': Theater Review," 19 June 2018
Her downfall began in 2015 with a series of stories reported by the Wall Street Journalthat questioned the statements the company was making about its technology.

— elizabeth weise, azcentral, "Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes and former president Balwani charged with federal fraud," 15 June 2018
In the weeks after his downfall, many wondered whether the brand’s association with him would leave an indelible stain.

— madeleine aggeler, The Cut, "Does Harvey Weinstein Profit From a Marchesa Comeback?," 10 June 2018
Manziel can't help but wonder, however, about the looming struggle to eschew the triggers, the stimuli of his downfall.

— lorenzo reyes, USA TODAY, "For Johnny Manziel, recovery takes priority amid comeback in CFL," 6 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'downfall.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.