as in deflations
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 downturns
These liquidations can exacerbate downturns, said Ryan Rasmussen, head of research at Bitwise Asset Management.
—
John Towfighi, CNN Money, 9 June 2026
Originally founded in 1881 by the Harvey brothers, the distillery survived wars, economic downturns, and multiple closures before shutting down entirely in 1994.
—Emily Price, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026
Advance was known in the industry for a pledge that employees who weren’t in a union would have jobs regardless of economic downturns or technological advances.
—Scott Mayerowitz, Los Angeles Times, 27 May 2026
Advance was known in the industry for a pledge that employees who weren't in a union would have jobs regardless of economic downturns or technological advances.
—ABC News, 26 May 2026
Then again, signing Alex Bregman to a five-year, $175 million contract this past offseason was supposed to help prevent these extreme downturns.
—Patrick Mooney, New York Times, 25 May 2026
Despite the later success of SoftBank’s Alibaba investment, its timing coincided with one of the largest market downturns in modern history, led largely by collapsing technology and Internet stocks.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 21 May 2026
This rating reflects a speculative nature, suggesting that the entity may be more impacted by economic downturns or other adverse conditions.
—Todd Spangler, Variety, 20 May 2026
He’s obsessed with positioning Putin as the kind of strongman who ordinary Russians want to lead them out of financial downturns and corruption crises.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 20 May 2026
John Towfighi, CNN Money, 9 June 2026
Originally founded in 1881 by the Harvey brothers, the distillery survived wars, economic downturns, and multiple closures before shutting down entirely in 1994.
—Emily Price, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026
Advance was known in the industry for a pledge that employees who weren’t in a union would have jobs regardless of economic downturns or technological advances.
—Scott Mayerowitz, Los Angeles Times, 27 May 2026
Advance was known in the industry for a pledge that employees who weren't in a union would have jobs regardless of economic downturns or technological advances.
—ABC News, 26 May 2026
Then again, signing Alex Bregman to a five-year, $175 million contract this past offseason was supposed to help prevent these extreme downturns.
—Patrick Mooney, New York Times, 25 May 2026
Despite the later success of SoftBank’s Alibaba investment, its timing coincided with one of the largest market downturns in modern history, led largely by collapsing technology and Internet stocks.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 21 May 2026
This rating reflects a speculative nature, suggesting that the entity may be more impacted by economic downturns or other adverse conditions.
—Todd Spangler, Variety, 20 May 2026
He’s obsessed with positioning Putin as the kind of strongman who ordinary Russians want to lead them out of financial downturns and corruption crises.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 20 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for downturns
Noun
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Software development and human resources roles, which witnessed long slumps, have risen steadily since February.—
Conor Sen,
Boston Herald,
8 June 2026
-
And while the club has remained competitive for much of the year so far, several key hitters have endured slumps that aren’t helping the lineup meet expectations.—
Peter Chawaga,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2026
Noun
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All of the cumulative regions the wave passes through, with all of the growth and shrinkages that occur, imprint themselves onto the wave, as do the initial and final gravitational potentials.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
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At the elementary level, the largest decreases came in the time devoted to social studies, which within a few years dropped by a third, or 76 minutes each week.—
Yoni Appelbaum,
The Atlantic,
8 June 2026
-
The devices detected increases in brain waves linked to relaxation and focus – theta, theta-alpha, alpha and beta-1 brain waves – while measuring decreases in delta and gamma-1 brain waves, which suggest less drowsiness and less mind-wandering.—
Jacqueline Howard,
CNN Money,
7 June 2026
Noun
-
Offseason price falloffs are common in all sports, and those at the top are often among the most impacted.—
Benjamin Burrows,
New York Times,
7 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Since 2022, the company has delivered more than $5bn in structural cost reductions while maintaining a strong balance sheet and generating significant cash flow.—
Sam Birchall,
Fortune,
8 June 2026
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Elevated inflation and a hot jobs report last week has pushed back expectations of any further reductions happening this year.—
Michelle Fox,
CNBC,
8 June 2026
Noun
-
The goal is to keep blood sugar stable and avoid big dips and spikes.—
Samantha Agate,
Sacbee.com,
4 June 2026
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For a break from dips in the Mediterranean, visit Fondation Carmignac, a contemporary art museum with its own vineyards that offer wine tastings.—
Evie Carrick,
Travel + Leisure,
3 June 2026
Noun
-
Similar deteriorations took place in Tuscany and in Naples.—
Britannica Editors,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
12 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
JPMorgan’s Kaneva argued other factors include deeper-than-recognized demand losses and larger-than-reported inventories.—
Matt Egan,
CNN Money,
9 June 2026
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In stock markets abroad, indexes edged lower Europe following sharp losses in Asia.—
Stan Choe,
Los Angeles Times,
8 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Downturns.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/downturns. Accessed 12 Jun. 2026.
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