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
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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
The findings are the first clear example of industrial pollution in history, researchers say — and could offer clues into what led to Rome’s downfall.
—
Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 7 Jan. 2025
CoinDesk, which gained notoriety for chronicling the downfall of FTX and Alameda Research, struggled when its former parent, Digital Currency Group, was hit by a downturn in the crypto markets.
—Sara Fischer, Axios, 7 Jan. 2025
Their victory saw the downfall of two American foes, whereas the Taliban’s win epitomized American defeat.
—Delaney Simon, Foreign Affairs, 2 Jan. 2025
Her videos shared an intimate view of her family's life and had more than 2.5 million subscribers before her downfall.
—Audrey Conklin, Fox News, 7 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for downfall 
Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 7 Jan. 2025
CoinDesk, which gained notoriety for chronicling the downfall of FTX and Alameda Research, struggled when its former parent, Digital Currency Group, was hit by a downturn in the crypto markets.
—Sara Fischer, Axios, 7 Jan. 2025
Their victory saw the downfall of two American foes, whereas the Taliban’s win epitomized American defeat.
—Delaney Simon, Foreign Affairs, 2 Jan. 2025
Her videos shared an intimate view of her family's life and had more than 2.5 million subscribers before her downfall.
—Audrey Conklin, Fox News, 7 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for downfall
Recent Examples of Synonyms for downfall
Noun
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The family of late British singer Danielle Moore, the vocalist for dance band Crazy P, has released a statement revealing her cause of death.—
Katie Bain,
Billboard,
16 Jan. 2025
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As fire crews continue to battle the wildfires consuming Los Angeles County, officials on Thursday said at least 36 people remain missing while two additional deaths brought the toll to 25.—
Stephen Sorace,
Fox News,
16 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Based on the deterioration of the relationship, a trade — as soon as possible — would appear the preferred alternative, particularly with this latest two-game suspension to otherwise put Butler back in play for the Heat as soon as Monday night’s game against the Orlando Magic at Kaseya Center.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
23 Jan. 2025
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For women, especially, working could, therefore, be dangerous for them physically and could lead to the deterioration of their health: a result that could adversely affect their roles as mothers and their subsequent responsibility to raise future generations, especially boys.—
Eva Epker,
Forbes,
21 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
Jake walked us through some of the fallout from the demise, revealing that Apple TV+ viewers will be robbed of comedic turns from an all-star British cast that was set to include Jason Isaacs, Dawn French, Miranda Richardson, and Jamie and Natasia Demetriou.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
17 Jan. 2025
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Before this particular spacecraft reaches its watery demise, however, SpaceX will test a few other key objectives.—
Jackie Wattles,
CNN,
15 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Crazy cold temps, snow removal out of the stadium, rain tarps off after 7 days down, and then grow tarps off on Wednesday.—
Joseph Hernandez,
Kansas City Star,
18 Jan. 2025
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An area of low pressure will reportedly develop offshore, blanketing New York, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. While Sunday is expected to start with a mix of sun and clouds, New Yorkers could see rain begin to fall in the afternoon before turning into snow as temperatures dive into the low 20s.—
Brian Niemietz,
New York Daily News,
18 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
Along with this, the enemy's oil refining industry facilities are becoming the objects of our destruction.—
Justin Gest,
Newsweek,
20 Jan. 2025
-
She’s credited with saving Hymenaeus from destruction during the war of Dionysus against the Indians.—
Ryan Brennan,
Kansas City Star,
20 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Yet the devastation that Israel inflicted on Hezbollah last year, the general degradation of Iran’s militia network, and the failure of Tehran’s strategy of using Arab fighters as a forward defense against Israel and the U.S. were decisive.—
Hussein Ibish,
The Atlantic,
19 Jan. 2025
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Users could still watch and download videos, but over time, this lack of updates could cause significant degradation of the app’s performance.—
Cherie Brooke Luo,
Forbes,
17 Jan. 2025
Noun
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There's dual-band Wi-Fi for wireless ups and downs, and users can sync their reading and notes data across BOOX devices via the Onyx Cloud service.—
Paul Ridden,
New Atlas,
21 Jan. 2025
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The only thing on the screen was the down and distance, the time and the score.—
Cameron Teague Robinson,
The Athletic,
19 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Freezing temperatures have kept parts of the South at a standstill after a winter storm.—
David Leonhardt,
New York Times,
23 Jan. 2025
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At one point during my gameplay, scores of birds began taking flight as the wind picked up, signaling that a storm was rolling in.—
Alyssa Mercante,
Rolling Stone,
23 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near downfall
Cite this Entry
“Downfall.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/downfall. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.
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