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
Shortly afterward, the company’s stock prices can go into a downward spiral as the company perpetuates its toxic behavior, selling more shares at a fraction of the price whenever the stock exhibits a significant upward trend.
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David Capablanca, Forbes.com, 28 May 2026
The spending on lobbying and legal fees in an effort to counter its reputation eventually led the UFC into a downward spiral, says Thomsen.
—Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 28 May 2026
Instead, the show follows Paula on her downward spiral, maintaining a relentless focus on a rapid succession of crises that’s effective in building momentum but loses any sense of what drew Paula to Trevor — whose services include Zoom dinner dates as well as cybersex — in the first place.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 20 May 2026
Those answers never came as the Browns continued their downward spiral.
—Gabriel Burns, AJC.com, 19 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for downward spiral
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David Capablanca, Forbes.com, 28 May 2026
The spending on lobbying and legal fees in an effort to counter its reputation eventually led the UFC into a downward spiral, says Thomsen.
—Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 28 May 2026
Instead, the show follows Paula on her downward spiral, maintaining a relentless focus on a rapid succession of crises that’s effective in building momentum but loses any sense of what drew Paula to Trevor — whose services include Zoom dinner dates as well as cybersex — in the first place.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 20 May 2026
Those answers never came as the Browns continued their downward spiral.
—Gabriel Burns, AJC.com, 19 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for downward spiral
Cite this Entry
“Downward spiral.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/downward%20spiral. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
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