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
-
Many before Labīd and many after him across the long arc of Arabic, have begun their poems by standing upon ruins.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 June 2026
-
Sri Lanka, off the southeastern coast of India, packs lush tea plantations, ancient Buddhist ruins, biodiversity and pristine beaches into one of the most affordable trips on this list — though its popularity is rising fast.—
Hanna Wickes,
Sacbee.com,
9 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
-
Recent rains had made the water murky, CBS News previously reported.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
6 June 2026
-
Heavy rains from a typhoon delayed the search until Wednesday, according to Takuya Nishikawa of the Kyoto Prefectural Police Headquarters.—
Mirna Alsharif,
NBC news,
6 June 2026
Noun
-
Several deaths have been confirmed, according to the Office of Civil Defense, while response teams are still trying to verify more reports of casualties on the ground.—
Kathleen Magramo,
CNN Money,
8 June 2026
-
Congolese authorities have confirmed 452 cases including 82 deaths.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
7 June 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
-
Putin has increasingly faced setbacks on the battlefield as a Ukrainian drone strike campaign disrupts critical logistics routes and public support at home wanes.—
Jane Lytvynenko,
NBC news,
6 June 2026
-
One of the most frightening setbacks came when Asher developed an MRSA bloodstream infection that originated in his port — the device connected to his heart that allows doctors to administer treatment.—
Jordan Greene,
PEOPLE,
5 June 2026
Noun
-
Both items are nice to have in Arizona, where AC units run hard through summer and monsoon storms can leave roofs in need of repair.—
Sharon Wu,
USA Today,
9 June 2026
-
The English musician was still getting the hang of the ever-changing nature of New York summer weather — which this past weekend included a fair share of flash storms — but was in high spirits nonetheless.—
Leigh Nordstrom,
Footwear News,
9 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Downfalls.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/downfalls. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
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