downfall or drawback

A downfall is something that causes a person’s destruction, either literal or figurative: “expensive cars were Fred’s downfall: he spent his entire inheritance on them and went bankrupt.” A drawback is not nearly so drastic, just a flaw or problem of some kind, and is normally applied to plans and activities, not to people: “Gloria’s plan to camp on Mosquito Island had just one drawback: she had forgotten to bring her insect repellent.” Also, “downfall” should not be used when the more moderate “decline” is meant; reserve it for ruin, not to designate simple deterioration.

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• submittal vs submission
• woman vs women
• wreckless vs reckless
• in tact vs intact
• writting vs writing
• buttox vs buttocks
• weiner vs wiener
• grammer vs grammar
• swam vs swum
• notate vs note

Definitions

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• n  failure that results in a loss of position or reputation
• n  the falling to earth of any form of water (rain or snow or hail or sleet or mist)
• n  a sudden decline in strength or number or importance

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• n  the quality of being a hindrance
  he pointed out all the drawbacks to my plan

News & Articles

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• Birdsall pleads guilty to corruption, agrees to $1M fine
  TOMS RIVER — In one of the final acts by an old, once-prestigious engineering firm, Birdsall Services Group on Thursday agreed to pay a $1 million fine while pleading guilty to the criminal pay-to-play corruption charges that spurred its whirlwind downfall.
  June 13, 2013 - Asbury Park Press
• Birdsall pleads guilty to corruption, agrees to $1M fine
  TOMS RIVER — In one of the final acts by an old, once-prestigious engineering firm, Birdsall Services Group on Thursday agreed to pay a $1 million fine while pleading guilty to the criminal pay-to-play corruption charges that spurred its whirlwind downfall.
  June 13, 2013 - Asbury Park Press
• Naomi Watts says she was 'terrified' to play Princess Diana
  Naomi Watts has played real women before: outed CIA agent Valerie Plame in "Fair Game," the mother Maria from the tsunami tragedy film "The Impossible." But none have been more visible than her role as Princess Diana in the upcoming movie "Diana" from director Oliver Hirschbiegel ("Downfall").        
  June 12, 2013 - Los Angeles Times

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• Debt Financing For Your Startup Company
  When your business is a corporation and takes out a loan, it is incurring debt. Loans are a well-known and well-used method of raising capital. The biggest drawback to taking out a loan for your corporation is that a loan must be repaid, both principal and interest, if any. Further, if you personally guarantee the loan, the lender will expect you to repay the loan if the corporation is unable to ...
  June 12, 2013 - Forbes
• Debt Financing For Your Startup Company
  When your business is a corporation and takes out a loan, it is incurring debt. Loans are a well-known and well-used method of raising capital. The biggest drawback to taking out a loan for your corporation is that a loan must be repaid, both principal and interest, if any. Further, if you personally guarantee the loan, the lender will expect you to repay the loan if the corporation is unable to ...
  June 12, 2013 - Forbes