DOWNTURN Synonyms: 85 Similar and Opposite Words

downturn

noun

Definition of downturn

as in slump

a situation in which something (such as business or economic activity) decreases or becomes worse

—usually singular an economic downturn There's been a downturn in the housing market.

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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 downturn More investors are looking to hedge against a potential downturn in the AI boom, driving up the cost of credit default swaps tied to hyperscalers. — Ellen Dimauro, semafor.com, 15 Oct. 2026 In an interview with the Express-News last month, Saenz pointed to economic conditions such as rising fuel prices as contributing to the downturn. — Richard Webner, San Antonio Express-News, 15 Oct. 2026 Shares of Oracle fell about 9% amid a broader downturn for stocks of top AI stakeholders. — Dade Hayes, Deadline, 14 Oct. 2026 Its goal was to weather downturns by maximizing revenue, even if that sometimes meant reduced occupancy. — Literary Hub, 14 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for downturn

Recent Examples of Synonyms for downturn

Noun

In an email, general manager and head brewer David Bulcock told The Star that their original location, which opened in 2019, saw a slump in foot traffic and bookings for their event space located in the back of the brewery and roastery.

— Katelyn Umholtz, Kansas City Star, 20 Oct. 2026
Meanwhile, other pockets of the economy remain weak, weighed down by feeble consumption and a multiyear property slump.

— Anniek Bao, CNBC, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of slump

Noun

Police say that officers then successfully deployed tire-deflation devices near 11 Mile Road.

— Karma Sabbah, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026
Each eruption caused rapid deflation of the summit of Kilauea and was followed by the relatively slow refilling of the Halemaʻumaʻu magma reservoir.

— John Timmer, ArsTechnica, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of deflation

Noun

Although the decrease in shot volume wasn’t quite as dramatic, Giddey went 1-for-10 from the field and scored only two points in Wednesday’s brutal beatdown by the Raptors.

— Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 22 Oct. 2026
The Clippers have the largest decrease in the NBA in average age between their current roster and the group that was active for last year's season opener, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

— CBS News, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of decrease

Noun

While only satellite observations and the most delicate instruments can detect these shifts, the consequences of this shrinkage means moonquakes can occur anywhere on the lunar surface at a moment’s notice.

— Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 14 Oct. 2026
The nonprofit Stand Up for Stand Up posted a detailed breakdown of the data that outlines a 66% shrinkage in the SiriusXM Raw channel roster.

— Christina Catherine Martinez, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of shrinkage

Noun

Sarandos told investors in July that such declines are typical and that second season falloff is slightly improved this year.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
About half of those seasons involved dramatic falloffs in production for those players the next year.

— Michael Beller, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of falloff

Noun

Goddard’s diminution is part of a broader pivot at NASA as the White House redirects the space agency to put American astronauts on the moon by 2028.

— Eric Niiler, Scientific American, 22 Sep. 2026
Around the halfway point of Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard, Petya Trofimov — eternal grad student, moral purist, and former tutor to the once wealthy family whose diminution sits at the heart of the play — makes a speech.

— Sara Holdren, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of diminution

Noun

The district plans to make about $1 million in reductions during the 2027-28 academic year regardless of the referendum, according an infographic from the district.

— Elena Tittel, Chicago Tribune, 22 Oct. 2026
Schmidt expects that kind of workforce reduction to become more common as AI makes businesses more efficient.

— Preston Fore, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of reduction

Browse Nearby Words

downtrodden

downturn

downturns

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“Downturn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/downturn. Accessed 23 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of downturn

noun

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