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
Moss and George's complicated romantic relationship helped contribute to the band's downfall, and in 2023, Moss won $2.3 million in a lawsuit against the group, alleging that he was expelled before a 2018 tour.
—
Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 13 June 2025
Unfortunately, because Trump is not a career politician, some critics seem more eager to predict his downfall than support his efforts to succeed.
—Christopher Anderson, Baltimore Sun, 7 June 2025
The birth of house music in the 1980s was also, in part, a response to the heyday, and unceremonious downfall, of disco, another genre that had distinctly Black origins before garnering more mainstream attention via white artists and culture.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 13 June 2025
Now, Paris is speaking out about how the movie contributed to their downfall.
—Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 13 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for downfall
Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 13 June 2025
Unfortunately, because Trump is not a career politician, some critics seem more eager to predict his downfall than support his efforts to succeed.
—Christopher Anderson, Baltimore Sun, 7 June 2025
The birth of house music in the 1980s was also, in part, a response to the heyday, and unceremonious downfall, of disco, another genre that had distinctly Black origins before garnering more mainstream attention via white artists and culture.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 13 June 2025
Now, Paris is speaking out about how the movie contributed to their downfall.
—Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 13 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for downfall
Recent Examples of Synonyms for downfall
Noun
-
Furthermore, the odds of being attacked and killed by a shark isn’t even the most common cause of death among marine wildlife and human encounters.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
21 June 2025
-
When the news broke of his death on Jan. 10, 2016, fans across the globe grieved and paid tribute to the legend.—
Andy Greene,
Rolling Stone,
21 June 2025
Noun
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Most of the time, the summer slide—in other words, the deterioration of intellectual skills gained during the school year, during a period when kids are on breaks—is associated with a student’s reading skills, says Alexander.—
Sherri Gordon,
Parents,
25 June 2025
-
The disease causes deterioration of nerve cells in the brain, a process that sets off a series of worsening symptoms.—
Jack Knudson,
Discover Magazine,
19 June 2025
Noun
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And the company’s legal battle with Albertsons over the demise of the merger deal is ongoing.—
Melissa Repko,
CNBC,
20 June 2025
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The urgency of the warnings comes as Russia faces losing another regional ally if the regime in Iran falls, only months after the demise of the Assad regime in Syria.—
Brendan Cole,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 June 2025
Noun
-
The chance of rain will carry into Thursday, with possible showers and thunderstorms after 2 p.m.—
Baltimore Sun staff,
Baltimore Sun,
23 June 2025
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Africanized honey bees don't survive in areas with cold winters and don't like high levels of rain, making for natural cutoffs in areas where temperatures fall, Rangel said.—
Elizabeth Weise,
USA Today,
23 June 2025
Noun
-
Leave the innocents, the children, the ones who just want to live a simple life, out of the bombing and destruction.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
25 June 2025
-
Europeans associate all things nuclear with destruction more than with deterrence.—
FLORENCE GAUB,
Foreign Affairs,
24 June 2025
Noun
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Despite the degradation of its military capabilities, Iran can leverage proxies, criminal organizations abroad, and cyberattacks to hit Israeli, and possibly U.S., targets.—
Nakissa Jahanbani,
The Conversation,
20 June 2025
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This natural degradation in data characteristics means an AI that once performed well might start making errors as its environment evolves.—
Ronen Cojocaru,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2025
Noun
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Advertisement Advertisement But like all great friendships, the Trump-Netanyahu bromance has had its ups and downs.—
Chad de Guzman,
Time,
26 June 2025
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However, there were some major ups and downs, with Kuminga seeing a lot of bench time late in the year and even at times in the playoffs.—
Evan Massey,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 June 2025
Noun
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Severe storms in the US this spring caused millions of dollars in damages to crops.—
Umair Irfan,
Wired News,
28 June 2025
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Without the Defense Department data, there will be bigger gaps in time when forecasters will not know the current conditions inside a storm.—
Rebecca Hersher,
NPR,
28 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Downfall.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/downfall. Accessed 2 Jul. 2025.
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