as in died
to stop living
the patient was fading fast, and doctors expected him to flatline before the night was over
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Recent Examples of flatlined
At the same time, soda popularity flatlined and wellness culture ascended.
—
Ellen Cushing, The Atlantic, 25 Feb. 2026
Meanwhile, the travel sector, often a bellwether for consumer discretionary spending, has flatlined; Transportation Security Administration numbers for January were stagnant, and hotel occupancy rates dipped 1% year over year.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 9 Feb. 2026
Employee engagement has been in decline since 2020 and, over the past two years, has flatlined at 31% of US employees being actively engaged at work.
—Barnaby Lashbrooke, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026
The scoring punch has flatlined.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 21 Jan. 2026
Because of high home prices, historically elevated mortgage rates and other higher housing costs, including property taxes and homeowner insurance premiums, Gen Z and millennial homeownership rates flatlined last year.
—Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Dec. 2025
But after growth soared from late 2023 through last year, the business has flatlined, with some analysts saying that Dell has taken market share.
—Ari Levy, CNBC, 4 Nov. 2025
Chase Brown had completely flatlined as a fantasy commodity before Flacco’s arrival, and Tee Higgins was approaching a similar status.
—Andy Behrens, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025
After administering chest compressions — during which Bennett flatlined — a doctor asked if the couple would be willing to put their son on life support.
—Greta Bjornson, PEOPLE, 21 Sep. 2025
Ellen Cushing, The Atlantic, 25 Feb. 2026
Meanwhile, the travel sector, often a bellwether for consumer discretionary spending, has flatlined; Transportation Security Administration numbers for January were stagnant, and hotel occupancy rates dipped 1% year over year.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 9 Feb. 2026
Employee engagement has been in decline since 2020 and, over the past two years, has flatlined at 31% of US employees being actively engaged at work.
—Barnaby Lashbrooke, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026
The scoring punch has flatlined.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 21 Jan. 2026
Because of high home prices, historically elevated mortgage rates and other higher housing costs, including property taxes and homeowner insurance premiums, Gen Z and millennial homeownership rates flatlined last year.
—Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Dec. 2025
But after growth soared from late 2023 through last year, the business has flatlined, with some analysts saying that Dell has taken market share.
—Ari Levy, CNBC, 4 Nov. 2025
Chase Brown had completely flatlined as a fantasy commodity before Flacco’s arrival, and Tee Higgins was approaching a similar status.
—Andy Behrens, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025
After administering chest compressions — during which Bennett flatlined — a doctor asked if the couple would be willing to put their son on life support.
—Greta Bjornson, PEOPLE, 21 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flatlined
Verb
-
In the ensuing melee, she was hit in the head with a metal water bottle — causing injuries so severe that she was hospitalized, and later died.—
Ruben Vives,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Mar. 2026
-
Marland Jeffries died in 2023 at the age of 85.—
Kaitlyn Schallhorn,
Oc Register,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Apartment buildings were felled by air strikes, and smoke billowed from the blasts; the buzz of Israeli drones filled the air.—
Rania Abouzeid,
New Yorker,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Too many people, particularly those in my age group, have been felled by a cold that morphed into pneumonia, or a UTI that landed them in the hospital, or a simple stumble on a floor mat that resulted in surgery and months of physical therapy.—
Donna Vickroy,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Flatlined.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flatlined. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
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