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
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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
The manic, madcap, chaotic and silly stunt show was heavy on exposition to the delight of the fans who cheered the entrance of every One Piece character and laughed at the downfall of paper-thin goon.
—
Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 24 Apr. 2026
In the docuseries, Hogan appears at peace with the fact he is beloved by some and reviled by others after his post-career downfall.
—Sean Neumann, PEOPLE, 23 Apr. 2026
Its rapid downfall was the most prominent case of failure in China’s property sector, which was embroiled in a liquidity crisis after authorities cracked down on excessive borrowing in the industry as many other developers had also defaulted or underwent restructuring.
—ABC News, 23 Apr. 2026
The story of Lee’s death immediately became a sign of the downfall of one of America’s great cities, but, Shawn Wen writes, that narrative proved to be completely wrong.
—Stacey Vanek Smith, Bloomberg, 23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for downfall
Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 24 Apr. 2026
In the docuseries, Hogan appears at peace with the fact he is beloved by some and reviled by others after his post-career downfall.
—Sean Neumann, PEOPLE, 23 Apr. 2026
Its rapid downfall was the most prominent case of failure in China’s property sector, which was embroiled in a liquidity crisis after authorities cracked down on excessive borrowing in the industry as many other developers had also defaulted or underwent restructuring.
—ABC News, 23 Apr. 2026
The story of Lee’s death immediately became a sign of the downfall of one of America’s great cities, but, Shawn Wen writes, that narrative proved to be completely wrong.
—Stacey Vanek Smith, Bloomberg, 23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for downfall
Recent Examples of Synonyms for downfall
Noun
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But those numbers capture only a fraction of deaths, which often are classified only by other, more immediate causes, such as bleeding in the brain.—
Lee Hutchinson,
ArsTechnica,
6 May 2026
-
Too much damage has been done to the character in recent years, to the point that any death would be seen as a mercy killing now.—
Sergio Pereira,
Space.com,
6 May 2026
Noun
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The aim wasn’t a knockout, but the gradual deterioration of San Antonio.—
Marcus Thompson II,
New York Times,
5 May 2026
-
Mayor Gloria’s egregious record of reckless spending has contributed to the steady deterioration of our city’s fiscal and civic health.—
U T Readers,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
1 May 2026
Noun
-
D’Amaro has weathered a few bumps in his initial weeks on the job, however, among them the Bachelor meltdown, new attacks on Jimmy Kimmel, layoffs and the demise of a deal with OpenAI that was made on Iger’s watch.—
Dade Hayes,
Deadline,
12 May 2026
-
Now the airline’s demise has cleared the way for competitors to raise their prices—and has left roughly seventeen thousand people out of work.—
John Cassidy,
New Yorker,
11 May 2026
Noun
-
As plants use rainwater to grow, their leaves pick up the rain’s characteristic ratio of hydrogen isotopes—atoms with the same number of protons and different numbers of neutrons.—
Hannah Richter,
Scientific American,
7 May 2026
-
While the immediate flood threat has diminished, rain is expected to persist along the Mid-Atlantic coast.—
Francie Ebert,
NBC news,
7 May 2026
Noun
-
GameStop’s $65 billion, half-cash/half-stock bid would heavily dilute shareholders, add risky leverage, and require an unrealistically high valuation multiple, making value destruction more likely than creating an Amazon rival.—
Diane Brady,
Fortune,
11 May 2026
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The letter warns that these dynamics are not only driving environmental destruction but also weakening Indigenous governance and territorial control.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
11 May 2026
Noun
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The move was widely seen as an effort to reassure consumers that ultra-fast charging technology would not result in excessive long-term battery degradation.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
10 May 2026
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But experts believe environmental degradation caused by climate change and human activity is contributing to its spread by allowing the rodents that transmit the virus to thrive in new areas.—
Gonzalo Zegarra,
CNN Money,
9 May 2026
Noun
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Before a race, there is the build-up and tap-down of distance, the strategic use of drinking liquids, eating gels and consuming grams of carbs to survive and successfully complete running that long distance.—
Erin Clack,
PEOPLE,
10 May 2026
-
Back then, the 6-7, 250-pound Lohner hadn’t played a down of football before joining Utah’s program for his final college season.—
Nick Kosmider,
New York Times,
9 May 2026
Noun
-
If there's a major storm, that could be the defining feature.—
Dana Taylor,
USA Today,
12 May 2026
-
The musical took Broadway by storm back in 1996, running for 12 years and winning the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, the Tony Award for Best Musical and more.—
Jack Smart,
PEOPLE,
12 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Downfall.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/downfall. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
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