1
as in death
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 deterioration
a change to a lower state or level
the gradual downfall of the Roman Empire
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in demise
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 rain
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 downfall
Lessons To Take To Heart To reiterate, failing to properly manage a crisis can make all the difference between survival and downfall, especially in financial markets.
—
Valentina Drofa, Forbes.com, 5 June 2025
Girardi — who was portrayed in the 2000 film Erin Brockovich — began experiencing his personal and professional downfall in late 2020.
—Lynsey Eidell, People.com, 4 June 2025
Rigoletto orchestrates his own downfall and Kelsey’s horror at the end feels like the unleashing of a new breed of violence.
—Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2025
Diamandis was there to authenticate the text message thread that included the text messages that led to Proctor’s downfall.
—Flint McColgan, Boston Herald, 2 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for downfall
Valentina Drofa, Forbes.com, 5 June 2025
Girardi — who was portrayed in the 2000 film Erin Brockovich — began experiencing his personal and professional downfall in late 2020.
—Lynsey Eidell, People.com, 4 June 2025
Rigoletto orchestrates his own downfall and Kelsey’s horror at the end feels like the unleashing of a new breed of violence.
—Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2025
Diamandis was there to authenticate the text message thread that included the text messages that led to Proctor’s downfall.
—Flint McColgan, Boston Herald, 2 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for downfall
Recent Examples of Synonyms for downfall
Noun
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Some shook their legs nervously, others gave death glares to folks with the misfortune of sitting on creaky chairs.—
Omkar Khandekar,
NPR,
8 June 2025
-
Mosquitoes are a true scourge, responsible for up to one million human deaths per year.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
8 June 2025
Noun
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Respondents perceive a significant reduction in the probability of a severe deterioration in economic prospects.—
Diane Brady,
Fortune,
17 June 2025
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Rossetti had been working on the CONCERN Study, which had successfully developed an AI model to detect patient deterioration in the hospital setting.—
Alexis Kayser,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 June 2025
Noun
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So while Oyun-Erdene’s demise was likely rooted in factional bickering rather than a nefarious power grab, the debacle contains a stark warning that Mongolia’s political class needs to start pulling in the same direction for cherished freedoms to be secured.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
13 June 2025
-
So basically, their awful demise is now a sense of joy for the people that are down there digging up the bones.—
Ari Daniel,
Smithsonian Magazine,
12 June 2025
Noun
-
What steps to follow when driving in the rain? Switch on headlights - Even during daylight hours, using headlights can enhance visibility and signal your presence to other drivers.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
8 June 2025
-
Earlier Saturday, torrential rain slammed parts of Arkansas, including the Little Rock metro triggering flash flooding.—
Daniel Peck,
ABC News,
7 June 2025
Noun
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Antibodies mark and bind to foreign substances (such as germs) for destruction, whereas cytokines serve as messengers, informing and signaling the immune system to launch an attack against germs.—
Jonathan Purtell,
Verywell Health,
13 June 2025
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Confrontational rhetoric Salami was known for his aggressive rhetoric against both Israel and the United States, calling for the destruction of Israel as early as 2016.—
Michael Dorgan,
FOXNews.com,
13 June 2025
Noun
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In regions affected by conflict, natural disasters or climate degradation, these irreplaceable sites and items are in jeopardy.—
Sattie Persaud,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2025
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Both research teams documented severe performance degradation on problems requiring extended systematic reasoning.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
11 June 2025
Noun
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Among the entities helping spark such experiences is Sage, one of New York City’s most venerable owner-operators of premium office space, and a fourth-generation company that has withstood the volatile ups and downs of the office market for more than a century.—
Jeffrey Steele,
Forbes.com,
13 June 2025
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Israel, accurately, calls Hamas a client of Iran, though the relationship has had its ups and downs.—
Karl Vick,
Time,
13 June 2025
Noun
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Builders weathered that storm, helped by the collapse in housing demand after the Great Financial Crisis.—
Brandon Kochkodin,
Forbes.com,
16 June 2025
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Simply spray down the rattan occasionally to remove dust and dry the pieces after big storms to keep the set looking new.—
Mariana Best,
Better Homes & Gardens,
15 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Downfall.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/downfall. Accessed 20 Jun. 2025.
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