slowdown

noun

slow·​down ˈslō-ˌdau̇n 

: a slowing down

a business slowdown

Synonyms of slowdown

• decline
• deceleration
• slump
• drop
• retardation

Examples of slowdown in a Sentence

The business had a slowdown after the holidays.

disease experts are encouraged by the recent slowdown in the spread of the virus

Recent Examples on the Web

This long-term slowdown in housing construction has left the region with an older, more strained housing stock and a deep shortfall in affordable options. —Roger Vincent, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2026

Ortberg said the company is also not seeing a slowdown in aircraft orders since the war in the Middle East began in February. —Leslie Josephs, CNBC, 22 Apr. 2026

The company's stronger-than-expected performance came despite a slowdown in Tesla's energy storage business — selling batteries that stay in one place, rather than batteries for vehicles. —Camila Domonoske, NPR, 22 Apr. 2026

The San Francisco Giants were out of town and businesses around Oracle Park and Mission Bay reported a slowdown. —Tim Fang, CBS News, 20 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1882, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for slowdown

• adown
• blowdown
• breakdown
• countdown
• crackdown
• crosstown
• downtown
• drawdown
• dropdown
• facedown
• godown
• hometown

Kids Definition

slowdown

noun

slow·​down ˈslō-ˌdau̇n 

: a slowing down

Legal Definition

slowdown

noun

slow·​down ˈslō-ˌdau̇n 

: a slowing down of business operations by employees