drawback

1 of 2

noun

draw·​back ˈdrȯ-ˌbak 

1

: a refund of duties especially on an imported product subsequently exported or used to produce a product for export

2

: an objectionable feature : disadvantage

The plan's only drawback is its cost.

draw back

2 of 2

verb

drȯ-ˈbak 

drew back; drawn back; drawing back; draws back

intransitive verb

: to avoid an issue or commitment

Synonyms

Noun

• disadvantage
• handicap

Examples of drawback in a Sentence

Noun

The trip sounds great, but cost is a major drawback.

this plan has only one drawback: it's unworkable

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

But left unsaid was one significant potential drawback. —Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 7 Sep. 2025

For Bear, the new arrangement is great about 99 percent of the time… the only drawback is that Nikki occasionally snaps back into her old self and screams in utter terror for a few seconds, before resuming the love-bombing. —Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 6 Sep. 2025

Verb

One reason investors are drawing back from government debt is concerns over its sustainability. —Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 3 Sep. 2025

An out later, Yoán Moncada and Mike Trout drew back-to-back walks, pushing home an insurance run. —Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 31 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1680, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1572, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for drawback

• aback
• anzac
• attack
• backpack
• backtrack
• bareback
• blackjack
• brownback
• buyback
• callback
• cognac
• comeback

Kids Definition

drawback

noun

draw·​back ˈdrȯ-ˌbak 

: an undesirable feature : disadvantage entry 1