Achilles' heel

All villains and warriors have an Achilles’ heel, and for female roles in particular, it’s usually sacrificing themselves to protect their family.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 14, 2026

For China, “oil is not the Achilles’ heel we thought it was,” said Michal Meidan, head of China energy research at the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 29, 2026

The Achilles’ heel of Chinese industrial policy is its cost and waste.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 15, 2026

"Banerjee's long electoral success rested on a delicate equilibrium between welfare and organisation. But the very organisation that sustained her for 15 years also became her Achilles' heel," says political scientist Bhanu Joshi.

From BBC ● May 4, 2026

She’s the Achilles’ heel of their marriage, and it’s only noticeable if you’ve been watching it for sixteen years like I have.

From "The Hate U Give" by Angie Thomas

As a wealthy institution in receipt of public funding, money has always felt like an Achilles heel for the royals - and deeper scrutiny of their finances will be uncomfortable for them.

From BBC ● May 14, 2026

Even China’s imports of crude, previously an Achilles heel given its heavy dependence on energy to fuel its economy, dropped 8.8% as electric vehicles continue to dominate the market for autos domestically.

From MarketWatch ● Jan. 14, 2026

“This exposes an Achilles heel to the Burn, and other people potentially trying to get away with something this awful,” Vandenbark-Woodward said.

From Salon ● Oct. 27, 2025

“You have spontaneous multiple events, which is the Achilles heel of any operation,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 12, 2025

“An Achilles heel is a weakness, and you’ve got one.”

From "The Million Dollar Shot" by Dan Gutman