as in back
a vulnerable point
the food supply proved to be the nation's Achilles' heel in its defense against terrorist attacks
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Recent Examples of Achilles' heel
In Apple's case, solid-state drives have sometimes been an Achilles' heel.
—
Brian Westover, PC Magazine, 10 June 2025
The imbalance is an Achilles' heel for Washington, which sees dependence on its top military rival as a national security threat.
—Micah McCartney, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 June 2025
The Red Storm have one of the best draws of the tournament and have improved their 3-point shooting drastically, which was an Achilles' heel early on.
—Vaughn Dalzell, NBC News, 19 Mar. 2025
While cardio isn't an Achilles' heel for Pantoja, there may be no one in the history of the sport with a deeper gas tank than Dvalishvili.
—Brian Mazique, Forbes, 24 Jan. 2025
Now, historically, the Achilles' heel of our system has to do with foreign banks, because when an American puts a bank deposit with a foreign bank, there's no withholding and there's no reporting.
—Tax Notes Staff, Forbes, 6 Nov. 2024
An old Achilles' heel still hobbling Falcons' defense: 5 factors
ACC’s middle class holds the key to reversing its negative hoops narrative
Padres at Dodgers Game 5 odds, projections, schedule: Do or die with an NLCS spot on the line
Who has edge for Canada's 4 Nations net?
—New York Times, 11 Oct. 2024
Eventually, the one Achilles' heel to the state's green dreams will be the amount of aviation fuel required to bring the visitors who fuel its economy.
—Elizabeth Weise, USA TODAY, 29 Jan. 2024
Free throws are huge again Free-throw shooting continues to be an Achilles' heel for this IU team.
—Zion Brown, The Indianapolis Star, 31 Jan. 2024
Brian Westover, PC Magazine, 10 June 2025
The imbalance is an Achilles' heel for Washington, which sees dependence on its top military rival as a national security threat.
—Micah McCartney, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 June 2025
The Red Storm have one of the best draws of the tournament and have improved their 3-point shooting drastically, which was an Achilles' heel early on.
—Vaughn Dalzell, NBC News, 19 Mar. 2025
While cardio isn't an Achilles' heel for Pantoja, there may be no one in the history of the sport with a deeper gas tank than Dvalishvili.
—Brian Mazique, Forbes, 24 Jan. 2025
Now, historically, the Achilles' heel of our system has to do with foreign banks, because when an American puts a bank deposit with a foreign bank, there's no withholding and there's no reporting.
—Tax Notes Staff, Forbes, 6 Nov. 2024
An old Achilles' heel still hobbling Falcons' defense: 5 factors
ACC’s middle class holds the key to reversing its negative hoops narrative
Padres at Dodgers Game 5 odds, projections, schedule: Do or die with an NLCS spot on the line
Who has edge for Canada's 4 Nations net?
—New York Times, 11 Oct. 2024
Eventually, the one Achilles' heel to the state's green dreams will be the amount of aviation fuel required to bring the visitors who fuel its economy.
—Elizabeth Weise, USA TODAY, 29 Jan. 2024
Free throws are huge again Free-throw shooting continues to be an Achilles' heel for this IU team.
—Zion Brown, The Indianapolis Star, 31 Jan. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for Achilles' heel
Noun
-
Collier, who missed the last two games with lower back soreness, came up clutch late.—
Mike Cook,
Twin Cities,
28 June 2025
-
Rhodes, playing a de facto heel, immediately went after Orton’s back.—
Alfred Konuwa,
Forbes.com,
28 June 2025
Noun
-
In reality, the 64-year-old actress has a soft spot for senior dogs.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
People.com,
22 June 2025
-
McKinney Between 35 to 50 minutes from Dallas McKinney, Texas, has a little something for everybody, starting with those with a soft spot for charming downtowns.—
Lydia Mansel,
Southern Living,
17 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Achilles' heel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/Achilles%27%20heel. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.
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