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 of drawback

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

The handout compared the pros and cons of the vitamin K shot with oral vitamin K drops, noting that the drawbacks of the drops are that some babies may not be able to absorb them or may spit them up. — Duaa Eldeib, ProPublica, 8 Nov. 2026

However, big-and-slow tanks like these had too many drawbacks, and technological advancements eventually made do-it-all designs like the Chieftain possible. — Stephen Edelstein, The Drive, 7 Nov. 2026

Verb

Democrats were already cautioning against overconfidence, discussing how to translate their midterm success into more lasting power and to draw back Tuesday’s voters in 2028. — Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 6 Nov. 2026

Tyson Foerster also scored a goal and Michkov added a second tally in the third period, but Philadelphia never could draw back even, and had its three-game winning streak snapped. — ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026

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
• attack
• backpack
• backtrack
• bareback
• blackjack
• brownback
• buyback
• callback
• cognac
• comeback
• cutback

Kids Definition

drawback

noun

draw·​back ˈdrȯ-ˌbak 

: an undesirable feature : disadvantage entry 1