as in inertia
lack of action or activity
as a result of the park department's inaction, the city's pools are not ready to open for the summer
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Recent Examples of inaction
Nineteen years ago, toward the end of the George W. Bush Administration, the United States Supreme Court agreed to hear a case prompted by government inaction on climate change.
—
Elizabeth Kolbert, New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2025
Internally, Khamenei and his regime are today weaker than ever, but Putin has offered little to bolster the supreme leader’s position.
FEAR AND LOATHING
Leaders and societies in the Middle East have taken note of Russia’s inaction and indifference in the region.
—Michael McFaul, Foreign Affairs, 25 July 2025
Smaller companies operating across multiple jurisdictions often struggle to stay up-to-speed on the complex patchwork of state and city-level regulations, resulting in inertia or inaction.
—Aldo Svaldi, Denver Post, 7 Aug. 2025
As a reporter covering state government and state agencies, Laura Schulte is busy working the hallways of the state Capitol in Madison, the campaign trail during Wisconsin elections and the woods, fields and streams of the state impacted by the actions and inactions of government.
—Laura Schulte, jsonline.com, 2 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for inaction
Elizabeth Kolbert, New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2025
Internally, Khamenei and his regime are today weaker than ever, but Putin has offered little to bolster the supreme leader’s position.
FEAR AND LOATHING
Leaders and societies in the Middle East have taken note of Russia’s inaction and indifference in the region.
—Michael McFaul, Foreign Affairs, 25 July 2025
Smaller companies operating across multiple jurisdictions often struggle to stay up-to-speed on the complex patchwork of state and city-level regulations, resulting in inertia or inaction.
—Aldo Svaldi, Denver Post, 7 Aug. 2025
As a reporter covering state government and state agencies, Laura Schulte is busy working the hallways of the state Capitol in Madison, the campaign trail during Wisconsin elections and the woods, fields and streams of the state impacted by the actions and inactions of government.
—Laura Schulte, jsonline.com, 2 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for inaction
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inaction
inertia
Noun
-
Changes to the workflow, organizational structure and practices are almost always resisted at first, and focusing on the competitive advantage alone may not be sufficient to overcome the adoption resistance inertia.—
Vibhu Sharma,
Forbes.com,
19 Aug. 2025
-
Turbulent, yet stuck in a state of inertia, fighting off possible sanctions and regression on the pitch.—
Jacob Tanswell,
New York Times,
18 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Inaction.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inaction. Accessed 31 Aug. 2025.
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