as in winters
a period of often involuntary inactivity or idleness
a knee operation that could result in months of downtime for the ski racer
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Recent Examples of downtimes
The average response time for phone calls dropped to 6 minutes from 30 minutes in the prior fiscal year; field office wait times decreased to 23 minutes; and removal of online service downtimes has benefited an additional 125,000 users in a single week, according to the agency's findings.
—
Suzanne Blake, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Aug. 2025
Suzanne Blake, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for downtimes
Noun
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Mowing Cool-Season Grass If your winters are snowy, your grass is likely a cool-season variety, such as Kentucky bluegrass, fine fescue, or perennial ryegrass.—
Megan Hughes,
Better Homes & Gardens,
2 Oct. 2025
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In areas with mild winters, parsley may survive all season, bringing fresh flavor to cold-weather meals.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
2 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Thousands of federal workers are bracing for layoffs after the White House threatened mass firings if an agreement isn’t reached to avoid a government shutdown.—
Rebecca Schneid,
Time,
28 Sep. 2025
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The administration threatens mass layoffs as Congress again barrels towards a government shutdown.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
28 Sep. 2025
Noun
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At this level, the EPA advises sensitive groups to take more breaks and do less intense activities when outside.—
Joe Edwards,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
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The lawsuit claims workers were not paid for pre-shift and post-shift activities, or for work performed during their meal breaks.—
Olivia Evans,
Louisville Courier Journal,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Figuring how to avoid similar lulls in key moments will be another critical offseason task.—
Ben Pickman,
New York Times,
29 Sep. 2025
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The bursts of action punctuate these lulls and sync perfectly with the intro song, Shortchange Hero (by The Heavy).—
G Kirilloff,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Any interruptions to basic research, such as changes to financial supports or institutions, may threaten future discoveries and potential payoffs for years to come.—
Ryan Summers,
The Conversation,
3 Oct. 2025
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For the most part, essential federal services continue during a government shutdown, but if the shutdown stretches on, delays and interruptions in federal aid, air travel and other services are likely.—
Maia Pandey,
jsonline.com,
1 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Downtimes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/downtimes. Accessed 5 Oct. 2025.
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