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dormancy

noun

ˈdȯr-mən(t)-sē How to pronounce dormancy (audio)
Definition of dormancynext
1
as in suspension
a state of temporary inactivity some volcanoes have eruptive cycles marked by long stretches of dormancy

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in inertia
lack of action or activity a fighting force that could be roused instantly from dormancy to action

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of dormancy New growth sprouts at ground level when plants break dormancy in spring. — Barbara Gillette, The Spruce, 9 Sep. 2026 June-bearing strawberries produce a large crop of berries in early summer and then enter a state of dormancy and stop fruiting entirely. — Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 Sep. 2026 The administration has resumed strikes after months of dormancy. — Laura Romero, ABC News, 31 Aug. 2026 The layoffs come as Ellison has been quietly rebuilding her business after several years of near-dormancy. — Matt Donnelly, Variety, 26 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for dormancy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dormancy
  1. suspension
  2. inertia
  3. suspense
  4. inactivity
  5. quiescence
  6. inaction
Noun
  • On Saturday, the Nigerian government named a 10-member committee drawn from the legal, security, mining and medical professions, and announced the suspension of 20 more NSCDC personnel.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 20 Sep. 2026
  • After months of suspension because of fighting, UNIFIL has resumed some of its non-military activities, providing basic medical assistance in areas where access remains severely restricted.
    — Diego Ibarra Sánchez, NPR, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of suspension
Noun
  • For more than two decades, bad science and bureaucratic inertia have resulted in women and physicians having an incomplete view of HRT.
    — Laura Trujillo, USA Today, 22 Sep. 2026
  • Every organization has a project running on pure inertia that everyone quietly knows should die.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of inertia
Noun
  • The film navigates an unusually delicate tonal terrain between black comedy, suspense and the fantastic.
    — Anna Marie de la Fuente, Variety, 19 Sep. 2026
  • The simmering tension between Kotler and Tankilevitch help Bezmozgis patiently delay their showdown until, after taking time to instill tension and suspense, two opposing forces collide in a hail of fiery accusations and fisticuffs.
    — Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of suspense
Noun
  • If there was any rust on the outfit from nine years of inactivity, it was knocked off the instant the song’s trademark chiming riff gave way to the thwack of Lynch’s snare drum, bringing the band to life.
    — Adam Gold, Rolling Stone, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Realistically, a week of inactivity is probably the best thing for Flowers.
    — Andy Behrens, New York Times, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of inactivity
Noun
  • Black liberation, no matter how distinct in its language, history, and practice, cannot be absent from any discussion of historical quiescence.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 27 July 2026
  • Our blanket of air expands when the sun is active and contracts during times of solar quiescence.
    — Mike Wall, Space.com, 28 May 2026
Definition of quiescence
Noun
  • The president’s confusion and inaction pose an immediate risk of slamming shut our small window of opportunity to make meaningful decisions about a technology that will almost certainly change the course of history and humanity.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 18 Sep. 2026
  • And while suspension can imply inaction, Agada views it instead as a state of change; a space where instability and possibility can coexist.
    — Kristen Tauer, Footwear News, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of inaction

Browse Nearby Words

dormancies
dormancy
dormant
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Cite this Entry

“Dormancy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dormancy. Accessed 27 Sep. 2026.

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