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

Sulton cast the blame for the agency's downward spiral on Patrick Kirsenlohr, the now former finance director, who was terminated by Hinton earlier this month. —Cary Spivak, Journal Sentinel, 26 Apr. 2024

Ridership was stagnant prior to the pandemic, and is now at about 70% of pre-pandemic levels — one of the weakest recoveries in the nation — creating a financial crisis for Bay Area transit agencies that threaten a future downward spiral of cuts. —Ian Griffiths, The Mercury News, 20 Apr. 2024

So when certain visitors feel unwelcome upon arrival, that can increase hostility and create a downward spiral. —Patrik Jonsson, The Christian Science Monitor, 14 Mar. 2024

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