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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of downfall
His unpopularity led to his own assassination and played into the downfall of Tsar Nicholas II.
—
Justin Gest, Newsweek, 11 Feb. 2025
Some are mere blips amid an otherwise strong run, while others represent the downfall of their respective shows.
—Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 29 Jan. 2025
The downfall of Emilia Pérez The team behind Emilia Pérez at the 2025 Golden Globes.
—Radhika Seth, Vogue, 8 Feb. 2025
Despite her two court appearances in 2019, Gibson has rarely been seen since her public downfall.
—Lynsey Eidell, People.com, 8 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for downfall
Recent Examples of Synonyms for downfall
Noun
-
The murders in 2024 included eight killings involving white supremacists and five deaths at the hands of far-right anti-government extremists.—
-
The actor, 66, reflected on the accidental shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins in 2021 during the Feb. 23 premiere of the new TLC reality show The Baldwins.—
Noun
-
His environmental project launched the Institute’s research via an extensive study of the relationship between business practices and environmental deterioration.—
-
Shot over five tumultuous years, the film traces Noam’s journey in tandem with the region’s steady deterioration.—
Noun
-
Horror films primed on increasingly gory demises have always trafficked in archetypes.—
-
Sepsis Rates Spiked for Patients Whose Initial Diagnosis Didn’t Include Fetal Death For patients in Texas hospitals who lost a pregnancy, about half were not diagnosed with fetal demise when they were admitted, meaning that their fetus may still have had a heartbeat at that time.—
Noun
-
The heavy rain, combined with warmer temperatures, will allow for rivers to continue to rise.—
-
Highly insulated and sturdy thanks to an anti-skid rubber sole, don’t worry about slipping while wearing these in the rain.—
Noun
-
For the United States, high rates of job destruction—even if accompanied by faster productivity growth—could be devastating politically.—
-
Current calculations give a 1% or greater chance of collision capable of localized destruction.—
Noun
-
Warming is also altering rain patterns, accelerating droughts, facilitating the spread of devastating diseases like pod rot, and contributing to soil degradation.—
-
Finding the right chemistry The degradation of battery performance is largely a matter of its key components gradually dropping out of use within the battery.—
Noun
-
In general, dividends are not always predictable, following the ups and downs of company profits over time.—
-
Okay, two years of ups and downs and time to move on to Penix.—
Noun
-
Trump this month proposed the US taking ownership of Gaza and moving Palestinians out of the devastated strip permanently, triggering a storm of protest.—
-
In fact, tremendous stellar wind currents from several stars can collide to cause a perfect cosmic storm, resulting in complete celestial chaos!—
Cite this Entry
“Downfall.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/downfall. Accessed 1 Mar. 2025.
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share