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
Juries are often reluctant to convict law enforcement officers for inaction, as seen after the Parkland, Florida, school massacre in 2018.
—
Jim Vertuno, Chicago Tribune, 6 Jan. 2026
Juries are often reluctant to convict law enforcement officers for inaction, as seen after the Parkland, Florida, school massacre in 2018.
—CBS News, 5 Jan. 2026
Juries are often reluctant to convict law enforcement officers for inaction, as seen after the Parkland, Florida, school massacre in 2018.
—Jim Vertuno, Los Angeles Times, 3 Jan. 2026
Some lawmakers frustrated with inaction on Capitol Hill plan to run for governor and other statewide offices, while others are stepping back from public office altogether.
—Sudiksha Kochi, The Hill, 2 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for inaction
Jim Vertuno, Chicago Tribune, 6 Jan. 2026
Juries are often reluctant to convict law enforcement officers for inaction, as seen after the Parkland, Florida, school massacre in 2018.
—CBS News, 5 Jan. 2026
Juries are often reluctant to convict law enforcement officers for inaction, as seen after the Parkland, Florida, school massacre in 2018.
—Jim Vertuno, Los Angeles Times, 3 Jan. 2026
Some lawmakers frustrated with inaction on Capitol Hill plan to run for governor and other statewide offices, while others are stepping back from public office altogether.
—Sudiksha Kochi, The Hill, 2 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for inaction
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inaction
inertia
Noun
-
Japan’s old, stodgy government is initially too caught up in bureaucratic red tape and inertia to mount a response.—
James Grebey,
Vulture,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Her confinement was not the result of any criminal conduct, but of bureaucratic error compounded by institutional inertia.—
Mike Hellgren,
CBS News,
8 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Inaction.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inaction. Accessed 18 Jan. 2026.
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