downward spiral

noun

: a situation in which something continuously decreases or gets worse

Her life was in a downward spiral as she battled depression and addiction.

Examples of downward spiral in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Happiness and well-being among Americans has recently plummeted and a new cohort is leading the downward spiral: young people. —Christopher Cann, USA TODAY, 21 Mar. 2024

And if this season represents the start of Pittsburgh’s downward spiral, after so many years of excellence, Dubas may want to hold onto his first-rounder next year. —Curtis Pashelka, The Mercury News, 13 Mar. 2024

Such moves all led to further selling in small caps, fueling a downward spiral in the market. —Bloomberg, Fortune Asia, 23 Feb. 2024

Train companies, themselves in a downward spiral of cost cutting and reduced personnel, aren’t doing a very good job of securing their freight. —Bradley Brownell / Jalopnik, Quartz, 23 Mar. 2024

The government declared a state of emergency as Haiti went into a downward spiral of terror and violence. —Carmen Sesin, NBC News, 14 Mar. 2024

Consequently, businesses have less incentive to invest in creating a wonderful office experience with fewer people coming into the office, causing a downward spiral. —Jack Kelly, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2024

Despite a thriving economy — employment is up, inflation is coming down — many people feel like the U.S. is on a downward spiral; recent surveys reveal a widening gap between how Americans feel about their own financial security (mostly OK) and the economic state of the country (mostly not OK). —Mary McNamara, Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2024

The sport had been disfigured beyond recognition before Harbaugh’s heel turn, a downward spiral accelerated by the approach of one tsunami and then another – NIL and the transfer portal – and the NCAA’s response of diving behind the nearest potted plant. —Gregg Doyel, The Indianapolis Star, 5 Jan. 2024