as in winter
a period of often involuntary inactivity or idleness
a knee operation that could result in months of downtime for the ski racer
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Recent Examples of downtime
Carmaker Mercedes Benz uses digital twins of its factories and assembly lines to reduce downtime, and also to test its driving software in simulations before real-world deployment.
—
Los Angeles Times, 24 Mar. 2026
For grid-scale storage, better forecasting can optimize maintenance schedules and minimize downtime, improving the reliability of renewable energy systems.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 24 Mar. 2026
And at Grand Velas Riviera Nayarit, there's also a new Kids’ Club with indoor and outdoor areas, state-of-the-art Teens’ Club, and babysitting services available for when the grownups need some guilt-free downtime at the spa or on the beach.
—Sheryl Nance Nash, USA Today, 24 Mar. 2026
Why hospitals have become prime targets Hospitals cannot afford downtime.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 20 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for downtime
Los Angeles Times, 24 Mar. 2026
For grid-scale storage, better forecasting can optimize maintenance schedules and minimize downtime, improving the reliability of renewable energy systems.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 24 Mar. 2026
And at Grand Velas Riviera Nayarit, there's also a new Kids’ Club with indoor and outdoor areas, state-of-the-art Teens’ Club, and babysitting services available for when the grownups need some guilt-free downtime at the spa or on the beach.
—Sheryl Nance Nash, USA Today, 24 Mar. 2026
Why hospitals have become prime targets Hospitals cannot afford downtime.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 20 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for downtime
Recent Examples of Synonyms for downtime
Noun
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Here, people live and work—about 150 per week in summer and up to 42 in winter—in an elevated two-story steel compound, studying astrophysics, neutrinos, glaciers, climate change, and some of the cleanest air on Earth.—
Laura Dannen Redman,
Robb Report,
29 Mar. 2026
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From an under-the-radar trade acquisition last June to World Series hero by October, Klein spent the winter still energized by his four scoreless innings in Game 3 of the World Series against the Toronto Blue Jays.—
Doug Padilla,
Oc Register,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Her youngest son Oliver, now 2, was born with a hole in his heart and needed surgery, sending her on a six-month social media break.—
David Oliver,
USA Today,
1 Apr. 2026
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That, more than anything else, is the lesson of this international break.—
Jack Pitt-Brooke,
New York Times,
1 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Downtime.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/downtime. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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