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
Lessons To Take To Heart To reiterate, failing to properly manage a crisis can make all the difference between survival and downfall, especially in financial markets.
—
Valentina Drofa, Forbes.com, 5 June 2025
Girardi — who was portrayed in the 2000 film Erin Brockovich — began experiencing his personal and professional downfall in late 2020.
—Lynsey Eidell, People.com, 4 June 2025
Rigoletto orchestrates his own downfall and Kelsey’s horror at the end feels like the unleashing of a new breed of violence.
—Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2025
Diamandis was there to authenticate the text message thread that included the text messages that led to Proctor’s downfall.
—Flint McColgan, Boston Herald, 2 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for downfall
Valentina Drofa, Forbes.com, 5 June 2025
Girardi — who was portrayed in the 2000 film Erin Brockovich — began experiencing his personal and professional downfall in late 2020.
—Lynsey Eidell, People.com, 4 June 2025
Rigoletto orchestrates his own downfall and Kelsey’s horror at the end feels like the unleashing of a new breed of violence.
—Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2025
Diamandis was there to authenticate the text message thread that included the text messages that led to Proctor’s downfall.
—Flint McColgan, Boston Herald, 2 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for downfall
Recent Examples of Synonyms for downfall
Noun
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Finally, with homicides soaring to record levels, exasperated authorities pivoted to a novel strategy: Mexico filed a $10-billion suit in U.S. federal court seeking to have Smith & Wesson and other signature manufacturers held accountable for the country’s epidemic of shooting deaths.—
Patrick J. McDonnell,
Los Angeles Times,
8 June 2025
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Some shook their legs nervously, others gave death glares to folks with the misfortune of sitting on creaky chairs.—
Omkar Khandekar,
NPR,
8 June 2025
Noun
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They are then transported to the Berkhamsted conservation center, where their condition is examined for deterioration.—
Benny Har-Even,
Forbes.com,
5 June 2025
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Nationwide, the ramifications of deportation for these key citizens will affect all of us, which can lead to deterioration of our healthcare system, hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, home health aides, etc.—
Rachel Blumberg,
Sun Sentinel,
3 June 2025
Noun
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So while Oyun-Erdene’s demise was likely rooted in factional bickering rather than a nefarious power grab, the debacle contains a stark warning that Mongolia’s political class needs to start pulling in the same direction for cherished freedoms to be secured.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
13 June 2025
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So basically, their awful demise is now a sense of joy for the people that are down there digging up the bones.—
Ari Daniel,
Smithsonian Magazine,
12 June 2025
Noun
-
What steps to follow when driving in the rain? Switch on headlights - Even during daylight hours, using headlights can enhance visibility and signal your presence to other drivers.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
8 June 2025
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Extreme precipitation is increasingly falling on mountains as rain instead of snow, said Mohammed Ombadi, an assistant professor at the University of Michigan College of Engineering.—
Laura Paddison,
CNN Money,
7 June 2025
Noun
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Antibodies mark and bind to foreign substances (such as germs) for destruction, whereas cytokines serve as messengers, informing and signaling the immune system to launch an attack against germs.—
Jonathan Purtell,
Verywell Health,
13 June 2025
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The destruction of several strategic bombers is another reminder that Kyiv remains determined in its struggle against Moscow’s invasion.—
Editorial,
Boston Herald,
13 June 2025
Noun
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In regions affected by conflict, natural disasters or climate degradation, these irreplaceable sites and items are in jeopardy.—
Sattie Persaud,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2025
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Both research teams documented severe performance degradation on problems requiring extended systematic reasoning.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
11 June 2025
Noun
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Israel, accurately, calls Hamas a client of Iran, though the relationship has had its ups and downs.—
Karl Vick,
Time,
13 June 2025
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Among the entities helping spark such experiences is Sage, one of New York City’s most venerable owner-operators of premium office space, and a fourth-generation company that has withstood the volatile ups and downs of the office market for more than a century.—
Jeffrey Steele,
Forbes.com,
13 June 2025
Noun
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Despite the increasing investment, the program struggles to accommodate small farmers and those, including Fulford, hit by back-to-back storms.—
Rose Schnabel,
Miami Herald,
4 June 2025
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The Independence tornado is the only one that the weather service has been able to confirm from Tuesday’s storm.—
Robert A. Cronkleton,
Kansas City Star,
4 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Downfall.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/downfall. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.
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