downtimes

noun

plural of downtime
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

Relevance

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 downtimes These trends often materialize in batch changeovers, supplier changes, line downtimes and traceability challenges. — Ihor Yurchenko, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for downtimes
  1. winters
  2. layoffs
  3. breaks
  4. lulls
  5. interruptions
Noun
  • The brutal cold of Sweden’s winters is well documented, but Stockholm has a knack for bringing some special magic even to its gloomiest season.
    — Isabelle Kliger, Vogue, 2 Nov. 2026
  • But colder winters and shorter days can definitely affect the performance of the battery and the solar panels.
    — Maryna Holovnova, New Atlas, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of winters
Noun
  • The number of Americans applying for unemployment claims dipped last week to 194,000 — the lowest since mid-July — as layoffs remain low and most Americans enjoy job security.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 29 Oct. 2026
  • Budget cuts, layoffs, and bureaucratic red tape could all conspire to make your life more difficult.
    — Steph Koyfman, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of layoffs
Noun
  • Do them in a circuit format, alternating exercises with breaks.
    — Laura Solla, Vogue, 3 Nov. 2026
  • There are a host of new workplace laws covering hiring, pay, employee breaks, construction wages, service workers, and other employment issues.
    — Steven M. Frederick, Hartford Courant, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of breaks
Noun
  • There are no lulls in the storytelling and all the actors are wonderful and hungry and bring the heat.
    — Ronda Racha Penrice, HollywoodReporter, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Dull spells and lulls will crop up, building like waves, peaking, crashing, then dissipating.
    — Carlos Valladares, ARTnews.com, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of lulls
Noun
  • An experimental obesity drug significantly reduced breathing interruptions and other symptoms of obstructive sleep disorder in two clinical trials, according to new research published in The New England Journal of Medicine.
    — Angelica Stabile, FOXNews.com, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Pediatricians can help families navigate these decisions and guide them on how to continue living healthy lives with minimal interruptions during a measles outbreak.
    — Katie Lockwood, STAT, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of interruptions

Browse Nearby Words

downtime
downtimes
down-to-earth
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Downtimes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/downtimes. Accessed 4 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of fulsome

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Old-Timey Vehicles

Ten More Words from Taylor Swift Songs

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
couple-laugh-cafe
Quiz: Foreign Phrases You Should Know Check out your bona fides and avoid any faux pas.
See All