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

Deflation — which is when annual price growth falls below 0% — could put the national economy on a downward spiral. — Alex Harring, CNBC, 14 Oct. 2026

The downward spiral of his health started with excruciating abdominal pain that left him unable to walk as his digestive tract ulcerated, along with fevers, blistering rashes, headaches and fatigue. — Alex Ross, PEOPLE, 8 Oct. 2026

The downward spiral was driven by offensive regression among core players, inconsistent starting pitching, a second-half bullpen collapse and some of the worst defensive metrics in Major League Baseball. — Alejandro Avila Outkick, FOXNews.com, 29 Sep. 2026

The sun’s intense flare-ups had put the telescope on a downward spiral faster than engineers anticipated. — Marcia Dunn, Los Angeles Times, 27 Sep. 2026

Rhymes for downward spiral

• antiviral
• retroviral
• adenoviral
• antiretroviral
• chiral
• viral