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
Tired of stagnation, Britons were impatient for better times and hoped Labour could provide them.
—
Christian Edwards,
CNN Money,
22 June 2026
Change the water in the container every few days to prevent stagnation and ensure that the cuttings have a constant supply of oxygen.
—
Madeline Buiano,
Martha Stewart,
15 June 2026
Economists expect data for May will affirm broad stagnation.
—
Evelyn Cheng,
CNBC,
15 June 2026
Even stable population trends can be cast as stagnation to be avoided at all costs.
—
Christopher Briem,
The Conversation,
12 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for stagnation
Christian Edwards,
CNN Money,
22 June 2026
Change the water in the container every few days to prevent stagnation and ensure that the cuttings have a constant supply of oxygen.
—
Madeline Buiano,
Martha Stewart,
15 June 2026
Economists expect data for May will affirm broad stagnation.
—
Evelyn Cheng,
CNBC,
15 June 2026
Even stable population trends can be cast as stagnation to be avoided at all costs.
—
Christopher Briem,
The Conversation,
12 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for stagnation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stagnation
Noun
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America’s centennial in 1876 was celebrated with a grand exhibition that projected an image of national unity and inventiveness in the anxious aftermath of civil war and recession.
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The Foundation attributes the stagnation in Millennial incomes directly to the timing of recession entry.
Noun
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Bregman has been a consistent presence at the plate for the Red Sox as well as the Houston Astros in his career, so the slump is fairly surprising.
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Drake Baldwin snapped an 0-for-36 slump with a single in the seventh.
Noun
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The pair went all the way down to a 43-mile-wide and 1,500-mile-long depression in the Pacific Ocean’s Mariana Trench, known as the Challenger Deep.
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The victim's mother also addressed the jury, blaming Rullan for her son's depression and anxiety and describing the emotional toll the abuse had taken on their family.
Cite this Entry
“Stagnation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stagnation. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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