downturns

noun

plural of downturn
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.

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

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 downturns This stock has had one of the most hellacious downturns, despite sticking to its multiyear growth plan. — Jim Cramer, CNBC, 3 Aug. 2026 Housing construction downturns in the early 2000s also contributed. — Paul Rogers, Mercury News, 28 July 2026 The executives who thrive during downturns, integrations and rapid transformation are the ones who have built durability by being adaptable. — Maureen Burke, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026 Even theme park giants such as Disneyland are seeing slight downturns in attendance. — Cerys Davies, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2026 Hermès keeps its famous leather goods intentionally hard to find, which protects the brand from economic downturns and keeps profit margins incredibly high. — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 29 June 2026 Silver prices often fall more sharply during economic downturns and periods of market stress. — Faith Wakefield, USA Today, 24 June 2026 Warsh, like many economists, thinks the financial markets have become too dependent on Fed guidance, and that such direction is more effective in financial crises or economic downturns. — Christopher Rugaber, Fortune, 20 June 2026 Local governments and schools, which rely heavily on property taxes, will face funding uncertainties during economic downturns. — Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for downturns
  1. slumps
  2. shrinkages
  3. decreases
  4. falloffs
  5. reductions
  6. dips
  7. deteriorations
  8. losses
Noun
  • The exclusive deal lands as Netflix leans on AI across roughly 300 productions, even as its stock slumps and Hollywood unions press for strict protections for human performances.
    — Cerys Davies, Los Angeles Times, 21 July 2026
  • Having endured plenty of slumps himself, Olson made a point to sit down with the young catcher and talk through it.
    — Jesús Cano, New York Times, 10 July 2026
Definition of slumps
Noun
  • 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
Definition of shrinkages
Noun
  • Throughout her reelection campaign, Bass has repeatedly touted two straight years of decreases in homelessness from 2024 to 2025 as one of her main arguments for why she should be given another four years by Angelenos.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 2 Aug. 2026
  • Other states hit hard by the opioid epidemic also saw year-over-year decreases in fatal overdoses, including states that didn’t loosen Medicaid billing rules, like Tennessee and West Virginia.
    — Alex Acquisto, ProPublica, 30 July 2026
Definition of decreases
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
Definition of falloffs
Noun
  • Paul Barnkow, Arvada I’m reading with interest the articles regarding the water restrictions imposed by Denver Water and that the restrictions aren’t generating the reductions requested.
    — DP Opinion, Denver Post, 2 Aug. 2026
  • Sodium-ion chemistry also performs well in cold weather, where conventional lithium-ion batteries often experience noticeable reductions in charging speed and driving range.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of reductions
Noun
  • The platter comes with a table-full of colorful salads and dips, including pickles and olives imported from Israel.
    — Connie Ogle July 31, Miami Herald, 31 July 2026
  • The top edge of the vamp dips into a dramatic, sharp V-shape over the foot, which flatters the feet.
    — Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 31 July 2026
Definition of dips
Noun
  • Similar deteriorations took place in Tuscany and in Naples.
    — Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 12 Mar. 2026
Definition of deteriorations
Noun
  • Getting this wrong can lead to financial losses, regulatory action, reputational damage and the rapid collapse of customer trust.
    — Bernard Marr, Forbes.com, 3 Aug. 2026
  • The expenditure of those munitions goes along with other losses of materiel, including fighter jets, airborne early warning and reconnaissance planes, helicopters and drones.
    — Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of losses

Browse Nearby Words

downturn
downturns
downward
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Downturns.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/downturns. Accessed 6 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on downturns

Nglish: Translation of downturns for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of torpor

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

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

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

How long is a jiffy?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
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
asap street sign
Figure Out These Acronyms ASAP You don't have to be a NASA engineer to get these...
See All