downturn

noun

down·​turn ˈdau̇n-ˌtərn How to pronounce downturn (audio)
: a downward turn especially toward a decline in business and economic activity

Examples of downturn in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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The strategists argue that while broader hedges like index puts can be expensive, single-stock options on companies with limited fundamental support can offer a more targeted and cost-efficient way to protect portfolios in a downturn. Yun Li, CNBC, 22 Oct. 2025 To economists like Zandi, however, the country still remains at high risk of entering a downturn, with inflation, softness in the labor market and noticeable declines in consumer confidence weighing on their forecasts. Hugh Cameron, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Oct. 2025 BofA’s semiconductors analyst Vivek Arya was more sanguine, arguing to Fortune that companies are more anxious about maintaining 2025’s robust capex levels than about an imminent downturn. Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2025 Like other traditional media companies, Paramount — parent of CBS, Paramount Pictures, Paramount+ and Pluto TV, MTV, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon and BET — has seen longer-term downturns in traditional advertising and distribution revenue as pay-TV subscribers shift toward streaming. Todd Spangler, Variety, 18 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for downturn

Word History

First Known Use

1658, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of downturn was in 1658

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Cite this Entry

“Downturn.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/downturn. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.

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