From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishdownfalldown‧fall /ˈdaʊnfɔːl $ -fɒːl/ noun [singular] 1 FAILcomplete loss of your money, moral standards, social position etc, or the sudden failure of an organization the scandal that led to the president’s downfall2 something that causes a complete failure or loss of someone’s money, moral standards, social position etcbe somebody’s downfall an addiction to gambling that proved to be her downfall
Examples from the Corpus
downfall• As long as there is an alternative, over-pricing ultimately brings its own downfall.• One bad investment eventually led to Roberts' downfall.• Greed would later prove to be Barnett's downfall.• Finally, there remained differences of approach between the various forces which had contributed to the Shah's downfall.• Later, they seized the town and contributed to the downfall of the Empire.• People are quick to slap that label on you, and then just as eager to predict your downfall.led to ... downfall• A series of failed ventures based on his hobbies of collecting classic sports cars and aircraft led to his downfall.• He reflected on the options which had been open to him, one of which had led to his downfall.• Maybe it wasn't the body after all that led to Mellor's downfall.• It was this which led to his downfall. 