as in inertia
lack of action or activity
as a result of the park department's inaction, the city's pools are not ready to open for the summer
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Recent Examples of inaction
The cost of our inaction is measured in funerals.
—
Chicago Tribune, 15 Feb. 2026
Success will be measured by how effective the office is in informing the public and policy leaders about the consequences of inaction on urgent priorities, from our schools to hospitals and the grid.
—Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Feb. 2026
And that grey area can make inaction the most palatable approach in a corporate governance environment in which poor judgement—even exceptionally poor judgement—is not automatically a fireable offense.
—Claire Zillman, Fortune, 14 Feb. 2026
She also was perplexed at the city’s inaction while noting a new leader offers a fresh perspective.
—Ishani Desai, Sacbee.com, 13 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for inaction
Chicago Tribune, 15 Feb. 2026
Success will be measured by how effective the office is in informing the public and policy leaders about the consequences of inaction on urgent priorities, from our schools to hospitals and the grid.
—Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Feb. 2026
And that grey area can make inaction the most palatable approach in a corporate governance environment in which poor judgement—even exceptionally poor judgement—is not automatically a fireable offense.
—Claire Zillman, Fortune, 14 Feb. 2026
She also was perplexed at the city’s inaction while noting a new leader offers a fresh perspective.
—Ishani Desai, Sacbee.com, 13 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for inaction
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inaction
inertia
Noun
-
Family ties, children's schools, business networks, cultural amenities, and sheer inertia often matter more than cable-news tax talking points.—
Christopher Marquis,
Time,
18 Feb. 2026
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But when a single school system dominates the market, whether by design or simple inertia, the incentives flip.—
Reader Commentary,
Baltimore Sun,
18 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Inaction.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inaction. Accessed 28 Feb. 2026.
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