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
From thunderous victory to shattering downfall, this play delivers sweeping action sequences, political intrigue, and a theatrical experience that hits with the force of a battle drum.
—
Cincinnati Enquirer, 7 Mar. 2026
Tender’s assets Tender CEO Whitney Halberstram (Max Minghella) engineers the downfall of co-founder Jonah Atterbury (Kal Penn) and eventually leaves Henry holding the bag for the company’s fraud.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 6 Mar. 2026
Bets can be placed on everything from the Super Bowl halftime show to the downfall of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
—James Pollard, Fortune, 6 Mar. 2026
And there’s a big if around this latest one, even if Ayatollah Ali Khamenei deserved his downfall and Iranians in their country and abroad rightfully celebrate.
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for downfall
Cincinnati Enquirer, 7 Mar. 2026
Tender’s assets Tender CEO Whitney Halberstram (Max Minghella) engineers the downfall of co-founder Jonah Atterbury (Kal Penn) and eventually leaves Henry holding the bag for the company’s fraud.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 6 Mar. 2026
Bets can be placed on everything from the Super Bowl halftime show to the downfall of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
—James Pollard, Fortune, 6 Mar. 2026
And there’s a big if around this latest one, even if Ayatollah Ali Khamenei deserved his downfall and Iranians in their country and abroad rightfully celebrate.
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for downfall
Recent Examples of Synonyms for downfall
Noun
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Mumma, 44, is charged with tampering with a deceased human body and tampering with evidence in connection with the death of Gratton, a 34-year-old transgender woman from Denver who disappeared in April and was found dead in a Lakewood alley in June.—
The Denver Post,
Denver Post,
12 Mar. 2026
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Readers send Miss Manners not only their table and party questions, but those involving the more complicated aspects of life - romance, work, family relationships, child-rearing, death - as well as philosophical and moral dilemmas.—
Judith Martin,
Dallas Morning News,
12 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Summary The recent selloff in SLB appears driven more by macro uncertainty and market positioning than by any deterioration in the company’s fundamentals.—
Tony Zhang,
CNBC,
11 Mar. 2026
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Contributing to the rust and deterioration of the village mains is not just their age but the fact that Sleepy Hollow’s soil is mostly soft and partially peaty, Hof said.—
Mike Danahey,
Chicago Tribune,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Fairway City Administrator Nathan Nogelmeier on Monday said that the potential demise of the project was news to him.—
Eric Adler,
Kansas City Star,
10 Mar. 2026
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SpaceX conducted five Starship flight tests in 2025, the first three of which ended in disaster when the vehicle met a premature fiery demise before completing many key objectives.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Fortunately, larger fuel sources like dense vegetation remain moist from heavy winter rains, and winds are predicted to be relatively light, conditions that together limit the danger of fast-spreading wildfires.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Mar. 2026
-
In July 2024, a deadly mudslide caused by heavy rain claimed the lives of 229 people in southern Ethiopia.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Washington has no answer to any of these questions – only a theory of destruction.—
Farah N. Jan,
The Conversation,
10 Mar. 2026
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Jalloh’s lengthy criminal history includes more than 30 arrests for charges of rape, assault, drug possession, property destruction, identity theft, trespassing, firing a weapon, grand larceny, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, and pickpocketing.—
Mia Cathell,
The Washington Examiner,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
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If Wyatt and Surrey could pen brilliant sonnets under Tudor tyranny, then certainly great art can be produced under capitalism despite its particular degradations.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 Mar. 2026
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Major degradation to their ability to produce the ballistic missiles that have been striking so many of their Gulf neighbors, Israel and elsewhere.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
8 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
This is a family whose bond was built around the Penguins — watching games together, following the team through its ups and downs, sharing that passion across hundreds of miles between Montreal and Pittsburgh.—
Ryan Brennan,
Miami Herald,
12 Mar. 2026
-
Granted, this is an ocular pat-down, not a metallurgical analysis.—
Andrew P. Collins,
The Drive,
12 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Chance of lightning increases as a thunderstorm approaches and peaks when the storm is overhead.—
STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
11 Mar. 2026
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By night, the scene softens with storm lanterns lit by hotel staff, who also patrol the premises.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
11 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Downfall.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/downfall. Accessed 15 Mar. 2026.
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