as in recession
a lack of activity or development and especially economic development
After years of economic stagnation, employment numbers began to rise.
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Recent Examples of stagnation
Wrexham were in a stage of stagnation at the time and the Racecourse Ground, as it was known in those days, in a state of disrepair.
—
Oliver Kay, New York Times, 8 Mar. 2026
Trump’s executive order lays the blame for the stagnation of nuclear power at the NRC’s feet.
—Teri Sforza, Oc Register, 6 Mar. 2026
Iran is a young country—more than 40% of its population is under 30—and many of those citizens have lived their entire lives under sanctions, repression, and economic stagnation.
—Eric Cortellessa, Time, 5 Mar. 2026
Nationally, the forecast said the balance of risks has shifted since late 2025 from stagnation toward reacceleration in 2026.
—City News Service, Daily News, 4 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for stagnation
Oliver Kay, New York Times, 8 Mar. 2026
Trump’s executive order lays the blame for the stagnation of nuclear power at the NRC’s feet.
—Teri Sforza, Oc Register, 6 Mar. 2026
Iran is a young country—more than 40% of its population is under 30—and many of those citizens have lived their entire lives under sanctions, repression, and economic stagnation.
—Eric Cortellessa, Time, 5 Mar. 2026
Nationally, the forecast said the balance of risks has shifted since late 2025 from stagnation toward reacceleration in 2026.
—City News Service, Daily News, 4 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for stagnation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stagnation
Noun
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The investment bank increased the probability of a recession over the next year to 30%.—
Megan Cerullo,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
-
If the Iran war drags on for months, the outlook could quickly darken, setting off a downward economic spiral as falling stocks give way to weaker spending and, ultimately, a recession.—
Bryan Mena,
CNN Money,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
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His response to his slump showed that he is built for New York.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
31 Mar. 2026
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Starting off in a slump, especially a season that comes with such high expectations, is never easy.—
Paul Johnson,
Chicago Tribune,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Growing up on a farm in Wabasha, Minnesota, one of 18 children, Bea milked cows and attended a one-room schoolhouse during the great depression.—
Irene Gonzalez,
CBS News,
30 Mar. 2026
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Hoang models the potential sales of these drugs by using Johnson & Johnson's Spravato, an intranasal ketamine derivative first approved to address treatment-resistant depression in 2019 , as a case study.—
Davis Giangiulio,
CNBC,
29 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stagnation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stagnation. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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