1
as in ruins
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 deteriorations
a change to a lower state or level
the gradual downfall of the Roman Empire
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in demises
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 rains
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 downfalls
What appears to be a series of dramatic personal downfalls is in fact part of a broader pattern shaped by the country’s political system.
—
Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 May 2026
Lushly photographed and boosted by a few killer tracks, Daisy Jones & the Six delivers the lurid delights and downfalls of a satisfying behind-the-music tale.
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Jan. 2026
Now, as crypto analysts speculate whether further downfalls are in Bitcoin’s future, crypto bros are struggling to maintain a cohesive narrative in the face of such epic volatility.
—Joe Wilkins Published Jan 29, Futurism, 29 Jan. 2026
One of the Miami Hurricanes’ biggest downfalls last season was their lack of cornerback depth, and how quickly that was exposed as soon as injuries hit.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 17 Jan. 2026
The soggy weather is expected to continue through Tuesday with the heaviest downfalls tapering off by midday Monday, according to the National Weather Service.
—Deborah Netburn, Los Angeles Times, 4 Jan. 2026
With a resurgence happening, Schoen's downfalls are becoming more apparent.
—James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Nov. 2025
Some of those mistakes eventually cause their downfalls.
—Robert B. Reich, Hartford Courant, 21 Aug. 2025
The lack of effective clock management was one of the downfalls of the Bears’ last coach, Matt Eberflus.
—Rick Pearson, Chicago Tribune, 18 Aug. 2025
Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 May 2026
Lushly photographed and boosted by a few killer tracks, Daisy Jones & the Six delivers the lurid delights and downfalls of a satisfying behind-the-music tale.
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Jan. 2026
Now, as crypto analysts speculate whether further downfalls are in Bitcoin’s future, crypto bros are struggling to maintain a cohesive narrative in the face of such epic volatility.
—Joe Wilkins Published Jan 29, Futurism, 29 Jan. 2026
One of the Miami Hurricanes’ biggest downfalls last season was their lack of cornerback depth, and how quickly that was exposed as soon as injuries hit.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 17 Jan. 2026
The soggy weather is expected to continue through Tuesday with the heaviest downfalls tapering off by midday Monday, according to the National Weather Service.
—Deborah Netburn, Los Angeles Times, 4 Jan. 2026
With a resurgence happening, Schoen's downfalls are becoming more apparent.
—James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Nov. 2025
Some of those mistakes eventually cause their downfalls.
—Robert B. Reich, Hartford Courant, 21 Aug. 2025
The lack of effective clock management was one of the downfalls of the Bears’ last coach, Matt Eberflus.
—Rick Pearson, Chicago Tribune, 18 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for downfalls
Noun
-
Programming includes theatrical performances, poetry readings and concerts staged inside and around ancient ruins — a setting that is impossible to replicate at any other time of year, since most of these sites are not open after dark on ordinary days.—
Hanna Wickes,
Sacbee.com,
2 June 2026
-
Ancient Lycian ruins often appear directly above the waterline, while small fishing villages remain largely unchanged by mass tourism.—
Katia Damborsky,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
Noun
-
Similar deteriorations took place in Tuscany and in Naples.—
Britannica Editors,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
12 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
SpaceX, the commercial spaceflight company Musk founded in 2002, has endured a few more fiery demises of the mammoth Starship rocket since that explosive debut.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
1 May 2026
-
No reason was provided for the shops’ demises.—
Michael Deeds,
Idaho Statesman,
26 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
The entire squad, coaches and backroom staff are jumping up and down on the podium as gold confetti rains down on them.—
Ben Church,
CNN Money,
30 May 2026
-
Although recent rains have helped improve conditions slightly, particularly over parts of the panhandle, according to DaSilva, drought conditions in much of the state are still severe.—
Sarah Perkel,
USA Today,
29 May 2026
Noun
-
Two crashes that unfolded early Sunday morning resulted in deaths, according to the Fort Worth Police Department.—
Matthew Ablon,
CBS News,
31 May 2026
-
By May 28, authorities had confirmed eight deaths and said three employees were in areas of the plant still inaccessible to crews due to safety concerns.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
31 May 2026
Noun
-
Key parameters such as time to recover (TTR), revenue at risk, lead times, OTIF and service-level degradations can be evaluated and compared across mitigation options.—
Dileep Rai,
Forbes.com,
12 Mar. 2026
-
The answer is not much—Fennell makes explicit, via sadomasochism, the power differentials and emotional degradations that are so often ambiguous in the original.—
Rhian Sasseen,
The Atlantic,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
After years of delays and testing setbacks, Dark Eagle has recently gained momentum through successful flight tests and production contracts.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
31 May 2026
-
The recent history of such fiery setbacks is not a positive one for Blue Origin.—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
30 May 2026
Noun
-
December to March is technically rainy season but storms typically happen once per day.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
3 June 2026
-
Rainfall totals in the Kansas City area The storms packed a powerful punch, producing frequent lighting and thunder, prompting a tornado warning for parts of Clay and Jackson counties, and drenching some parts of the metro.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
2 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Downfalls.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/downfalls. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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