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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Recent Examples of downturn
But in 2025, Valerus's hours were cut and became fragmented and unpredictable after her employer experienced a business downturn and started using new scheduling software.
—
Huo Jingnan, NPR, 3 May 2026
Instead of making across-the-board program cuts or raising taxes to align spending with revenue, Democrats have tapped into reserves designed to preserve social services for the state’s most disadvantaged communities during economic downturns.
—Taryn Luna, Los Angeles Times, 3 May 2026
At the end of that month, the WGA officially ratified its provisional deal, with a 90% approval rate but significant voter downturn.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 2 May 2026
Others are deepening their investments, with executives talking about the responsibility of ensuring the ecosystem is not hollowed out in this downturn.
—Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 1 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for downturn
Huo Jingnan, NPR, 3 May 2026
Instead of making across-the-board program cuts or raising taxes to align spending with revenue, Democrats have tapped into reserves designed to preserve social services for the state’s most disadvantaged communities during economic downturns.
—Taryn Luna, Los Angeles Times, 3 May 2026
At the end of that month, the WGA officially ratified its provisional deal, with a 90% approval rate but significant voter downturn.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 2 May 2026
Others are deepening their investments, with executives talking about the responsibility of ensuring the ecosystem is not hollowed out in this downturn.
—Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 1 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for downturn
Recent Examples of Synonyms for downturn
Noun
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The entire Mets lineup has been marred in an uncharacteristic slump, but in the bottom of the fourth inning on Tuesday night at Citi Field, Juan Soto uncorked a very characteristic home run.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
29 Apr. 2026
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Few buyers Despite seemingly noteworthy discounts, there’s a long-term slump in condo sales.—
Jonathan Lansner,
Oc Register,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Officials said the chaotic incident quickly triggered a multi-agency pursuit, prompting officers to deploy tire-deflation devices along a highway before the situation escalated into a brief foot chase outside of Denver.—
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
29 Apr. 2026
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My poor, wan mother, wizened by her abrupt deflation, ill-prepared for such a burst of fury in her orderly existence, did try to sate me.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
According to Gary’s 2025 Public Safety Report, the city’s homicide rate is its lowest since 1970, and fatal shootings decreased from 133 incidents in 2024 to 101 in 2025, which is a 24% decrease.—
Maya Wilkins,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Apr. 2026
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The decrease in students also means a decrease in state funding for next school year.—
Rebecca Noel,
Charlotte Observer,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
For example, certain psychiatric illnesses have been shown to cause atrophy, or shrinkage, of parts of the brain.—
Eric J. Nestler,
STAT,
28 Apr. 2026
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Air drying is best to prevent shrinkage, but combining it with a low-heat dryer cycle minimizes wrinkles.—
Olivia McIntosh,
Martha Stewart,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The trend is more of a downward slope than an abrupt falloff, but the gradient is steep and represents a crisis to colleges dependent on filling classroom seats and dorm beds.—
Jeffrey Selingo,
The Atlantic,
12 Apr. 2026
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The global emphasis also comes at a time when Hollywood’s local crews and soundstages are struggling from a historic falloff in local production as producers shoot more projects overseas in pursuit of tax credits.—
Cerys Davies,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
This stock was a disaster from May 2025 through the November lows near $48, losing roughly half its value in a grinding downtrend.—
Josh Brown,Sean Russo,
CNBC,
27 Apr. 2026
-
These experts also invariably forecast a sharp downtrend in the inflation curve once the conflict ends.—
Shawn Tully,
Fortune,
14 Apr. 2026
Noun
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This is the diminution of American power, the erosion of American power, and Trump is doing it willfully, with no strategic idea in his head.—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
8 Apr. 2026
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In both films, the effect is of a diminution, a depersonalization—not to say, a desecration of the experience of horror that the documentary element embodies.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
This represents a 500°C, or 900°F, reduction compared to existing methods.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
3 May 2026
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Most states have some sort of incentive in place to benefit EV buyers, including tax credits or rebates, or utility rate reductions, according to a 2023 report from the National Conference of State Legislators, a bipartisan nonprofit group for state legislators and their staff.—
Sarah Agostino,
CNBC,
3 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Downturn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/downturn. Accessed 7 May. 2026.
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