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
Coleman described a downward spiral of worsening engagement with instruction in general.
—
Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2025
Deja Vu Paul Triolo, a China and tech expert at consulting firm Albright Stonebridge, said the escalation harkens to the downward spiral of bilateral relations in May.
—John Liu, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2025
Robbie's downward spiral ends in his death from a fatal knife stab delivered from Dark Hearts tough guy Jayson (Sam Keeley).
—Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 13 Oct. 2025
Sooner or later, troops on the streets become engaged in situations that provoke the use of lethal force, which then spark attacks on the military itself in a downward spiral of reciprocal violence.
—Darren Kew, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for downward spiral
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2025
Deja Vu Paul Triolo, a China and tech expert at consulting firm Albright Stonebridge, said the escalation harkens to the downward spiral of bilateral relations in May.
—John Liu, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2025
Robbie's downward spiral ends in his death from a fatal knife stab delivered from Dark Hearts tough guy Jayson (Sam Keeley).
—Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 13 Oct. 2025
Sooner or later, troops on the streets become engaged in situations that provoke the use of lethal force, which then spark attacks on the military itself in a downward spiral of reciprocal violence.
—Darren Kew, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Oct. 2025
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 24 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share