1
as in inertia
lack of action or activity
the inactivity outside the school led me to think that it must have been vacation week
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Recent Examples of inactivity
The biggest mistake investors make is assuming that patience means inactivity.
—
Jim Osman, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026
New federal data shows wide differences in physical inactivity from state to state, Axios reported.
—Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 24 Jan. 2026
Spending more time indoors often means moving less, and inactivity can lead joints to stiffen over time.
—Miriam Fauzia, Dallas Morning News, 23 Jan. 2026
Booth earned his pink slip with inactivity at the trade deadline, by including player options for Dario Saric and Russell Westbrook and sacrificing three second-round draft picks to dump Reggie Jackson’s salary on the Charlotte Hornets.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 15 Jan. 2026
Citing data from the World Health Organisation, the report explains that inactivity is getting worse, with one in three adults projected to be defined as ‘inactive’ by 2030, an increase from one in four in 2010.
—Matt Slater, New York Times, 15 Jan. 2026
One hour less of inactivity could lead to a 13 percent reduction in all deaths.
—Emily Kay Votruba, EverydayHealth.com, 15 Jan. 2026
It is designed to reduce inactivity and boost mental well-being.
—Sherri Gordon, Health, 13 Jan. 2026
The removal of Marte from the trade market adds another layer of inactivity to what has been a particularly slow-moving MLB offseason.
—Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 9 Jan. 2026
Jim Osman, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026
New federal data shows wide differences in physical inactivity from state to state, Axios reported.
—Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 24 Jan. 2026
Spending more time indoors often means moving less, and inactivity can lead joints to stiffen over time.
—Miriam Fauzia, Dallas Morning News, 23 Jan. 2026
Booth earned his pink slip with inactivity at the trade deadline, by including player options for Dario Saric and Russell Westbrook and sacrificing three second-round draft picks to dump Reggie Jackson’s salary on the Charlotte Hornets.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 15 Jan. 2026
Citing data from the World Health Organisation, the report explains that inactivity is getting worse, with one in three adults projected to be defined as ‘inactive’ by 2030, an increase from one in four in 2010.
—Matt Slater, New York Times, 15 Jan. 2026
One hour less of inactivity could lead to a 13 percent reduction in all deaths.
—Emily Kay Votruba, EverydayHealth.com, 15 Jan. 2026
It is designed to reduce inactivity and boost mental well-being.
—Sherri Gordon, Health, 13 Jan. 2026
The removal of Marte from the trade market adds another layer of inactivity to what has been a particularly slow-moving MLB offseason.
—Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 9 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inactivity
Noun
-
Ships have real inertia and Newtonian physics, and pilots can choose to toggle flight assistance on to help stabilize their often unpredictable craft, or off to perform mind-bending maneuvers that can be the edge between life and death in high-skill player versus player shootouts.—
Alan Bradley,
Space.com,
31 Jan. 2026
-
Bruening believes the market for specific skate types is just too small, the cost of development and rollout too high, and the cultural inertia too strong for some changes.—
Mark Hay,
Popular Science,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Critical incidents are fatalities, near fatalities and other serious injuries suspicious of abuse/neglect.—
Sarah Healy Eagan,
Hartford Courant,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Because there is warmth, the interaction does not register as neglect.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Aides said the Pretti death was such a clarifying moment for their bosses that inaction was no longer an option.—
Philip Elliott,
Time,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Contrary to popular belief, inaction is not the real danger.—
Julian Hayes II,
Forbes.com,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
And does a particular level of disuse have to be reached for a word to be dropped into the lexical dustbin?—
Louis Menand,
New Yorker,
22 Dec. 2025
-
The term fell largely into disuse with the Axis powers’ defeat in 1945.—
Andrew Latham,
The Conversation,
8 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
DeJean, who recorded the game-changing pick-six in Super Bowl LIX, couldn’t comprehend postseason idleness.—
Brooks Kubena,
New York Times,
12 Jan. 2026
-
This patience is watchfulness, not idleness.—
Francois Botha,
Forbes.com,
7 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Old wounds around rejection or abandonment may rise to the surface… not to punish you, but to be finally resolved.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
29 Jan. 2026
-
This language can suggest frequent pivots and abandonment of projects.—
Cheryl Robinson,
Forbes.com,
28 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Inactivity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inactivity. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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