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
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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
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of downfall
That same day, Syrian rebels launched a stunning offensive that led 11 days later to the downfall of the country's longstanding government, another key Iranian partner that helped connect Axis of Resistance supply lines directly to the frontline with Israel.
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Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 16 Dec. 2024
Sign up Assad invited his own downfall, agreed Benjamin Byman in Foreign Policy.
—The Week Uk, theweek, 14 Dec. 2024
Barnier’s proposed financing bill, which sparked his downfall, aimed at bringing the country’s budget deficit down to 5% next year, according to government calculations.
—Rob Picheta, CNN, 13 Dec. 2024
As the power broker whose actions led to the downfall of the Assad regime, Turkey will own Syria’s problems.
—Gonul Tol, Foreign Affairs, 11 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for downfall 
Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 16 Dec. 2024
Sign up Assad invited his own downfall, agreed Benjamin Byman in Foreign Policy.
—The Week Uk, theweek, 14 Dec. 2024
Barnier’s proposed financing bill, which sparked his downfall, aimed at bringing the country’s budget deficit down to 5% next year, according to government calculations.
—Rob Picheta, CNN, 13 Dec. 2024
As the power broker whose actions led to the downfall of the Assad regime, Turkey will own Syria’s problems.
—Gonul Tol, Foreign Affairs, 11 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for downfall
Recent Examples of Synonyms for downfall
Noun
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That patch lives on largely unmodified, the way chunks of ancient versions of Windows, including that blue screen of death, still occasionally poke out of today’s PCs.Jonathan L. Zittrain, The Atlantic, 17 Dec. 2024
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It was assigned the Thursday 8 p.m. time slot of death and lasted two episodes before being pulled.Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 17 Dec. 2024
Noun
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The noun is used to describe the deterioration of a person's mental or intellectual state, sometimes seen a symptom of consuming too much material, specifically online content.Saleen Martin, USA TODAY, 10 Dec. 2024
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The events after injecting the substance turn into a battleground as Elisabeth’s disregard for the rules governing her and Sue’s shared body required to coexist leads to her deterioration.Robert Lang, Deadline, 4 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Ophelia, even in her delusion, wants others to remember her late father and the events that led to his demise.Nina Foster, JSTOR Daily, 20 Dec. 2024
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Cara starts to panic, thrashing around, while Tori, who is also struggling on the inside, is able to better maintain her composure, hoping that the illusion of strength will expedite Cara’s demise.Emma Sharpe, Vulture, 18 Dec. 2024
Noun
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San Francisco’s defense did a good job of putting the wraps on that Rams offense in the rain.Sam Farmer, Los Angeles Times, 19 Dec. 2024
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Because rain is scarce in Botswana, it’s considered to be a valuable blessing, making the name a poignant choice.Janine Henni, People.com, 18 Dec. 2024
Noun
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The facts are clear: Marylanders stand to gain no benefit from this proposal, yet our state will bear the brunt of its environmental destruction and economic damage to agritourism and farming, our top Maryland industry.Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 20 Dec. 2024
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The Season 4 finale ended with Vecna opening a gate to the Upside Down, leading to mass destruction in Hawkins.Denise Petski, Deadline, 20 Dec. 2024
Noun
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The effects of ecological degradation, including pollution, habitat destruction and climate change, will be a significant concern for some organizations across industries.Maureen Metcalf, Forbes, 17 Dec. 2024
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Researchers say this rampant accumulation may be occurring because many types of PFAS unleash TFA as a product of their degradation.Sharon Udasin, The Hill, 12 Dec. 2024
Noun
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While the Mustangs' defense has had its ups and downs, their ability to score quickly keeps them in every game.Gord Magill, Newsweek, 21 Dec. 2024
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About Last Night starred Moore and Lowe as Debbie Sullivan and Danny Martin, two 20-somethings in Chicago who fall in love and must navigate the ups and downs of their first real relationship.Toria Sheffield, People.com, 21 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Countries have agreed to try to limit warming to below that level in order to avoid much more intense storms, rainfall and heat waves.Lauren Sommer, NPR, 24 Dec. 2024
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This photo shows Hurricane Milton when the storm made its way across the state to NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC).Josh Dinner, Space.com, 24 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near downfall
Cite this Entry
“Downfall.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/downfall. Accessed 31 Dec. 2024.
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