as in disadvantage
a feature of someone or something that creates difficulty for achieving success
the downside of living in the country is, of course, the long commute to work
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Recent Examples of downside
Unfortunately, one of the few downsides of hotel hopping is having to repack and unpack your bags between stays, as well as the time lapse during the day between check-out and check-in.
—
Lauren Breedlove, Travel + Leisure, 5 Jan. 2026
Of course, global expansion isn’t without possible downsides.
—Adam Minter, Twin Cities, 4 Jan. 2026
The stock has an average rating of hold and roughly 5% downside to the average price target, per FactSet.
—Michelle Fox, CNBC, 3 Jan. 2026
The downsides of relying on weight machines Weight machines sound like a pretty great tool for beginners.
—Ciara Lucas, SELF, 2 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for downside
Lauren Breedlove, Travel + Leisure, 5 Jan. 2026
Of course, global expansion isn’t without possible downsides.
—Adam Minter, Twin Cities, 4 Jan. 2026
The stock has an average rating of hold and roughly 5% downside to the average price target, per FactSet.
—Michelle Fox, CNBC, 3 Jan. 2026
The downsides of relying on weight machines Weight machines sound like a pretty great tool for beginners.
—Ciara Lucas, SELF, 2 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for downside
Recent Examples of Synonyms for downside
Noun
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The Patriots have a clear kicking disadvantage in this one.—
Daniel Popper,
New York Times,
9 Jan. 2026
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In some ways, The Pitt’s breakout first season put it at a disadvantage going into the second.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
8 Jan. 2026
Noun
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While Benthaus was the first person with a significant physical handicap to fly in space, European Space Agency astronaut John McFall, who has a prosthetic leg, has been cleared for selection to a future flight to the International Space Station.—
William Harwood,
CBS News,
20 Dec. 2025
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There were 13 handicap spaces spread around the auditoriums at Regal Falls.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
19 Dec. 2025
Noun
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Although Presta valves are pretty much standard on higher-end bikes' wheels, the things definitely do have their drawbacks.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
11 Jan. 2026
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However, there are drawbacks to the current options.—
Lila Seidman,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Downside.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/downside. Accessed 17 Jan. 2026.
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