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
That late flourish put the university in the awkward position of watching a lame duck coach succeed and became a cautionary tale for athletic departments about the downside of playing out the string.
—
Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 12 Mar. 2026
Inside of tech, many bubble apologists acknowledge the downsides.
—Lila Shroff, The Atlantic, 12 Mar. 2026
The days and weeks of fussy, sleepless nights as little ones struggle with teething pain are the downside.
—Sarah Lindenfeld Hall, Popular Science, 11 Mar. 2026
The price point is quite high, which is really the only downside.
—Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 11 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for downside
Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 12 Mar. 2026
Inside of tech, many bubble apologists acknowledge the downsides.
—Lila Shroff, The Atlantic, 12 Mar. 2026
The days and weeks of fussy, sleepless nights as little ones struggle with teething pain are the downside.
—Sarah Lindenfeld Hall, Popular Science, 11 Mar. 2026
The price point is quite high, which is really the only downside.
—Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 11 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for downside
Recent Examples of Synonyms for downside
Noun
-
The Spartans lacked height this season but got all five players on the court to rebound as a group, helping overcome any disadvantages.—
Eric Sondheimer,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Mar. 2026
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The disadvantages, however, may outweigh the weed control.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
14 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Moscow relies heavily on oil revenue to finance its invasion and sanctions were a growing handicap.—
SYLVIE CORBET,
Arkansas Online,
14 Mar. 2026
-
Moscow relies heavily on oil revenue to finance its war on Ukraine, and sanctions were a growing handicap.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Alternatives to touching your 401(k) early Taking from your 401(k) may seem like an easy answer, but there are other options with fewer drawbacks.—
Brian Sloan,Dan Avery,
CNBC,
12 Mar. 2026
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The drawbacks for marine life While these regions likely hold vast resources, scientists know very little about the ecological conditions at the boundary between deep-sea water and seafloor sediments, especially about the microbial communities that live there.—
Leonardo Macelloni,
The Conversation,
10 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Downside.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/downside. Accessed 18 Mar. 2026.
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