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
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
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
-
Dickert survived the ruins of the Washington State program, taking them to three bowl games in four years.—
Darren Cooper,
Forbes.com,
20 Jan. 2026
-
In Rhyolite, the ruins of a bank, bottle house, and train depot serve as reminders of a once-booming mining town.—
Taryn White,
Travel + Leisure,
17 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
No reason was provided for the shops’ demises.—
Michael Deeds,
Idaho Statesman,
26 Nov. 2025
-
The mission, the fourth of 2025, would also be Starship's first flight since May 27 amid a year plagued by explosive demises for the vehicle.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
26 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Winter cold and rains as well as malnutrition are still killing people in Gaza, despite the ceasefire being in its fourth month.—
Tim Lister,
CNN Money,
24 Jan. 2026
-
Officials speculated that heavy rains this winter are producing more death cap mushrooms than normal, particularly in Northern California.—
Don Sweeney,
Sacbee.com,
22 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Michael David McKee was arrested over the weekend in Illinois on two counts of murder in the deaths of Monique Tepe and her husband, Spencer.—
Elise Hammond,
CNN Money,
13 Jan. 2026
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Advertisement What makes these cuts particularly remarkable is that on May 14, 2025, the Division of Overdose Prevention at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had announced, based on provisional data, that the number of overdose deaths in 2024 had dropped 27%.—
Charles LeBaron,
Time,
13 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
For Parisian Jews in 1941 and 1942, these thefts were compounded by a cascade of other degradations, including the loss of distinguished positions at the Sorbonne, in banking, science, and medicine, with more devastation to come.—
Christopher C. Gorham
September 29,
Literary Hub,
29 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
After back-to-back campaigns filled with setbacks, Scott re-signed with the Panthers on a 1-year deal this offseason.—
Mike Kaye
January 8,
Charlotte Observer,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Backups Jaylon Moore and Wanya Morris suffered setbacks in subsequent weeks, pushing the Chiefs down to their last options at tackle on the depth chart.—
Jesse Newell,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Fox notes winter is usually the slowest time of the year — except when there are storms.—
Nikki DeMentri,
CBS News,
21 Jan. 2026
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Southern states like Alabama and New Mexico already caught glimpses earlier this week, proving that stronger storms can defy expectations.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
20 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
In Jujutsu Kaisen, heroic jujutsu sorcerers wage war against demonic creatures called curses and the curse users, who wield jujutsu powers for evil.—
Eric Vilas-Boas,
Vulture,
1 Jan. 2026
-
And as relief from one of the greatest curses imaginable – chronic pain – the neuro-key may offer pain modulation without the expense, side effects, and addiction risk of opioids and systemic drugs.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
29 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Downfalls.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/downfalls. Accessed 28 Jan. 2026.
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