inflationary spiral

noun

: a continuous rise in prices that is sustained by the tendency of wage increases and cost increases to react on each other

Examples of inflationary spiral in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Moreover, some economists think the destabilizing effect of politicizing the Fed would cause market anxiety that sets off an inflationary spiral. Ben Adler, USA TODAY, 15 Sep. 2024 That track record should engender some faith; on the whole, central bankers act responsibly, and healthy industrial economies aren’t prone to regular inflationary spirals. IEEE Spectrum, 30 May 2012 Those included the sweeping impact of the pandemic, which crashed the vital tourism sector, and then the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which disrupted global supply chains and accelerated the inflationary spiral that dragged Sri Lanka’s economy into the abyss. Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 20 July 2022 While the banking crisis persists, fiat currencies continue their inflationary spiral, with record high inflation hitting western economies such as the United States and Europe. Leeor Shimron, Forbes, 3 May 2023 See all Example Sentences for inflationary spiral 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'inflationary spiral.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1931, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of inflationary spiral was in 1931

Dictionary Entries Near inflationary spiral

Cite this Entry

“Inflationary spiral.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inflationary%20spiral. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!