stagnate

verb

stag·​nate ˈstag-ˌnāt How to pronounce stagnate (audio)
stagnated; stagnating

intransitive verb

: to become or remain stagnant
a puddle of stagnating water
wages stagnated

Examples of stagnate in a Sentence

a puddle of stagnating water
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Even before universities were putting the brakes on future admissions, PhD enrollments were stagnating. Michael T. Nietzel, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026 Moreover, as trade stagnates (and may retreat), reserve status becomes less important. Jim Edwards, Fortune, 28 Jan. 2026 Threes from Holiday and Camara, layups by Caleb Love and a succession of Grant free throws trimmed the deficit to 10 by the end of the quarter as the Celtics’ offense began to stagnate. Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 27 Jan. 2026 But there’s been a noticeable uptick in the team’s willingness to hit their blue-collar big man on rolls to the rim, which is opening an underutilized dimension of an offense that stagnated in the weeks leading up to their back-to-back wins over the Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers. Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 27 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for stagnate

Word History

Etymology

Latin stagnatus, past participle of stagnare, from stagnum body of standing water

First Known Use

1661, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of stagnate was in 1661

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Stagnate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stagnate. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.

Kids Definition

stagnate

verb
stag·​nate ˈstag-ˌnāt How to pronounce stagnate (audio)
stagnated; stagnating
: to be or become stagnant
stagnation noun

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