plummet

1 of 2

verb

plum·​met ˈplə-mət How to pronounce plummet (audio)
plummeted; plummeting; plummets

intransitive verb

1
: to fall perpendicularly
birds plummeted down
2
: to drop sharply and abruptly
prices plummeted

plummet

2 of 2

noun

1
: plumb
also : plumb line
2
: an abrupt drop : an instance of plummeting
a sharp plummet in prices
If in the final week of the season, the Mets were trying to stop a plummet off a cliff, they are now attempting to climb out of a dark, deep abyss …Judy Battista

Examples of plummet in a Sentence

Verb The acrobat plummeted into the net. The car plummeted to the bottom of the canyon. The satellite plummeted into the ocean. Stock prices plummeted 40 percent during the scandal. The TV show has plummeted in the ratings. Temperatures are expected to plummet this weekend. The town's population plummets when the students leave for the summer. See More
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
The Johns Hopkins University and Attendance Works data is just the latest research on plummeting school attendance. Chloe Berger, Fortune, 18 Nov. 2023 The incentive structure of the scoring system, in which Dalio’s opinion could send any stat plummeting, evidently gave staff little reason to be blunt with their own boss. Tarpley Hitt, The New Yorker, 16 Nov. 2023 The company slashed its production targets recently, sending its stock price plummeting to an all-time low. Andrew J. Hawkins, The Verge, 16 Nov. 2023 Progress has also been driven by the plummeting costs of low-carbon technologies. WIRED, 15 Nov. 2023 Multiple polls have shown Netanyahu’s support plummeting after the Oct. 7 attacks, the opposite of what happened to President George W. Bush after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States. Adam Taylor, Washington Post, 8 Nov. 2023 Video shared on social media, which has not yet been verified by NBC News, appeared to show at least part of an Iron Dome interceptor plummeting down to the ground in a fiery explosion. NBC News, 7 Nov. 2023 Recent polls show support for President Biden plummeting in the state’s sizable Arab American community, whose overwhelming support in 2020 played an outsize role in delivering the battleground state to the blue column. Howard Lafranchi, The Christian Science Monitor, 6 Nov. 2023 This Story Biden’s Israel Stance Could Cost Him Key Swing States in 2024 A new poll finds that Arab American support has plummeted drastically due to Biden’s position on Israel. Ellie Quinlan Houghtaling, The New Republic, 1 Nov. 2023 See More

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

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English plomet, from Anglo-French plumet, plomet, from plum lead, lead weight — more at plumb

First Known Use

Verb

1845, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of plummet was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near plummet

Cite this Entry

“Plummet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/plummet. Accessed 3 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

plummet

1 of 2 noun
plum·​met ˈpləm-ət How to pronounce plummet (audio)

plummet

2 of 2 verb
: to fall straight down : plunge

More from Merriam-Webster on plummet

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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