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
With Tottenham just one point above safety, their reasons for inactivity in the January window are inadequate.
—
Elias Burke, New York Times, 7 Mar. 2026
After weeks of inactivity on the fainting front, Whoopi Goldberg has officially collapsed on The View once again.
—Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Mar. 2026
Almost a third of breast cancers examined in the study were attributable to lifestyle factors, such as high red meat intake, second-hand smoke, obesity, physical inactivity, and exposure to tobacco and alcohol.
—Victoria Kusztos, ABC News, 2 Mar. 2026
Chronic overconsumption and inactivity lead to excess body fat (especially in the abdominal region), resulting in insulin resistance, high blood pressure, abnormal cholesterol and early kidney dysfunction.
—Jia Shen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Feb. 2026
What followed wasn’t inactivity, but a period of reflection and change.
—Connie Etemadi, USA Today, 24 Feb. 2026
Taken in whole, this period was an oasis of creativity for Wilson in-between long stretches of inactivity that preceded and followed it, so even the minor misfires are fascinating; the absolute gems contained within the entry and exit points of Brian’s 1970s flourishing feel all the more precious.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 17 Feb. 2026
Zoschak said Van Rootselaar had a year of possible inactivity in 2024, with no traceable posts.
—Lauren Fichten, CBS News, 15 Feb. 2026
These factors include obesity, physical inactivity, smoking, heavy alcohol use, eating too much red and processed meat, and consuming too few fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
—Tom Gavin, EverydayHealth.com, 12 Feb. 2026
Elias Burke, New York Times, 7 Mar. 2026
After weeks of inactivity on the fainting front, Whoopi Goldberg has officially collapsed on The View once again.
—Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Mar. 2026
Almost a third of breast cancers examined in the study were attributable to lifestyle factors, such as high red meat intake, second-hand smoke, obesity, physical inactivity, and exposure to tobacco and alcohol.
—Victoria Kusztos, ABC News, 2 Mar. 2026
Chronic overconsumption and inactivity lead to excess body fat (especially in the abdominal region), resulting in insulin resistance, high blood pressure, abnormal cholesterol and early kidney dysfunction.
—Jia Shen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Feb. 2026
What followed wasn’t inactivity, but a period of reflection and change.
—Connie Etemadi, USA Today, 24 Feb. 2026
Taken in whole, this period was an oasis of creativity for Wilson in-between long stretches of inactivity that preceded and followed it, so even the minor misfires are fascinating; the absolute gems contained within the entry and exit points of Brian’s 1970s flourishing feel all the more precious.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 17 Feb. 2026
Zoschak said Van Rootselaar had a year of possible inactivity in 2024, with no traceable posts.
—Lauren Fichten, CBS News, 15 Feb. 2026
These factors include obesity, physical inactivity, smoking, heavy alcohol use, eating too much red and processed meat, and consuming too few fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
—Tom Gavin, EverydayHealth.com, 12 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inactivity
Noun
-
Agentic commerce will undermine any model that relies on inertia, human friction, or inconvenience to survive.—
Diane Brady,
Fortune,
24 Feb. 2026
-
Mechanically, the As2 features 12 degrees of freedom driven by low-inertia, high-speed inner rotor PMSM motors.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
24 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
CoreCivic has faced a slew of lawsuits that include accusations of medical neglect and falsifying records to cover up unsafe conditions in its facilities.—
Matthew Kelly,
Kansas City Star,
10 Mar. 2026
-
Let’s choose progress over neglect.—
Betty Resch,
Sun Sentinel,
8 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Alhasan said Gulf states must weigh the risks of joining the war against the cost of staying out, warning that inaction could weaken deterrence and make future Iranian attacks more likely.—
Abbas Al Lawati,
CNN Money,
12 Mar. 2026
-
This is Shakespeare’s most famous tragedy, a gripping portrait of a young prince caught between action and inaction, grief and rage, truth and deception.—
Cincinnati Enquirer,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
7 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Heart muscles atrophy, or weaken from disuse, in adults who spend prolonged times in the weightlessness of space.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 Feb. 2026
-
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
Noun
-
Spending healthy years in idleness isn’t good for you.—
Editorial Board,
Washington Post,
14 Feb. 2026
-
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
Noun
-
Bonner Springs Animal Control announced that an individual was charged with animal abandonment in a Facebook post Wednesday.—
Caroline Zimmerman,
Kansas City Star,
12 Mar. 2026
-
The complete abandonment of Americans in the Middle East while other countries are efficiently evacuating theirs raises serious competency concerns about our post-DOGE government.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
11 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Inactivity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inactivity. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
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