Thesaurus.com
Dictionary.com

reversal of fortune

NOUN
setback
Synonyms
STRONGEST
blow defeat delay difficulty hindrance impediment misfortune obstacle reversal set-back slowdown stumbling block trouble
STRONG
about-face bath check comedown flip-flop hitch rebuff regress regression reverse upset
WEAK
backset drawing board holdup whole new ballgame
Antonyms
STRONGEST
advance advantage aid assistance blessing expedition furtherance help
WEAK
achievement boon boost success

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

It’s a reversal of fortune from a quarter-century ago, when media giants, including Rupert Murdoch’s Fox, recognized there were huge profits to be made by launching regional sports networks.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026

People sit on top of the world one moment, and they experience a brutal reversal of fortune on the stock market the next.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026

This season has represented a stunning reversal of fortune for the Knicks who haven't been in the finals since 1999, when they lost to the Spurs.

From BBC ● Jun. 11, 2026

That’s not simply a reversal of fortune: It’s like buying the winning lottery ticket with your very last dollar.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 5, 2026

The absurdity of this reversal of fortune may not have struck millions in the industrialised world after the Wall Street Crash of 1929 as all that implausible.

From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Join 12,000,000 vocabulary learners

Start learning new words today on VocabTrainer.
You'll remember them forever.

Start training