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 Hoopes said the local wine industry changed after the COVID-19 pandemic, with a downturn in visitors and a growth in options. — Melissa May, CBS News, 18 Sep. 2026 Legislative leaders backed the proposal as a hedge against a severe downturn in the economy that leaves the state unable to cover critical needs without raising taxes or fees. — Gray Rohrer, Miami Herald, 16 Sep. 2026 Historically, these institutions have better withstood economic downturns, helping ensure a steady influx of new tenants and a stable employment base. — Justin Donald, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026 The bondhouse reaffirmed its BBB- rating, writing that Duncaster had lifted its performance since a downturn during the pandemic. — Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 15 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for downturn

Recent Examples of Synonyms for downturn

Noun

The latest update on consumer confidence from business group The Conference Board shows a slump in September.

— Damian J. Troise, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2026
Retail sales slowed further, and the urban investment slump deepened in August, while industrial output rebounded on the back of exports.

— Anniek Bao, CNBC, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of slump

Noun

The Bank of Japan — or BOJ — started raising interest rates in 2024, a major change after decades of ultra-low rates aimed at combating deflation.

— John Towfighi, CNN Money, 22 Sep. 2026
Higher energy and food prices pushed inflation up, adding to cost worries in a country that until recently was threatened with deflation.

— Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of deflation

Noun

The decrease in gut bacteria diversity was tied to expansions in populations of certain bad actors, such as the bacteria Enterococcus faecium.

— Brenda Goodman, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2026
Kansas City dropped 221,703 to 1,527,098 and Arizona, Atlanta, Cincinnati, Colorado and Philadelphia all experienced decreases of 100,000 to 200,000.

— ABC News, ABC News, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of decrease

Noun

Use cool water to avoid shrinkage, skip the fabric softener, and use a small amount of mild detergent to avoid detergent residue from lurking on the fabric after washing.

— Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 26 Sep. 2026
Curly and coily hair, for example, can appear to grow more slowly because of shrinkage and may also be more prone to breakage.

— Lauren Valenti, Vogue, 20 Sep. 2026

Definition of shrinkage

Noun

About half of those seasons involved dramatic falloffs in production for those players the next year.

— Michael Beller, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
The network decided to run the miniseries, originally slated to run weekly, on consecutive nights, to avoid a falloff in viewership, but also to get it all in before the ratings period.

— Anne Haley, Time, 11 Aug. 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

Twin Cities Marathon reported similar information, though without detailed analysis of risk reduction methods.

— Vibhu Krishna, STAT, 2 Oct. 2026
Staff reductions are expected to be brutal, and with so many duplicative roles across HBO Max and Paramount+, many talented executives will lose their jobs.

— Josef Adalian, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of reduction

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downtrodden

downturn

downturns

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“Downturn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/downturn. Accessed 2 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of downturn

noun

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