as in drop
the act or process of going to a lower level or altitude
the pilot struggled to pull his plane out of a nosedive
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to plunge
to go to a lower level especially abruptly
prices on just about everything nose-dived right after the holidays
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of nosedive
Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 23 Mar. 2026
Beyond the fact the Mavericks have been in a nosedive with 20 losses in 24 games, the schedule-maker hasn’t been terribly kind to Dallas, either.
—Nate Sanchez, Dallas Morning News, 17 Mar. 2026
Gary Robbins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Feb. 2026
Probably because ‘masculinity’ is a most fragile currency, ready to nose-dive at the first sign of vulnerability or difference.
—Stylecaster Editors, StyleCaster, 16 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for nosedive
Noun
Head coach Joe Mazzulla blamed the Celtics’ fourth-quarter nosedive on the Wolves’ physicality, which his team failed to match.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 23 Mar. 2026
Beyond the fact the Mavericks have been in a nosedive with 20 losses in 24 games, the schedule-maker hasn’t been terribly kind to Dallas, either.
—Nate Sanchez, Dallas Morning News, 17 Mar. 2026
Verb
The plane soared upward to roughly 8,000 feet, then did a 1-minute, 15-second nose-dive into one of the busiest harbor channels in California.
—Gary Robbins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Feb. 2026
Probably because ‘masculinity’ is a most fragile currency, ready to nose-dive at the first sign of vulnerability or difference.
—Stylecaster Editors, StyleCaster, 16 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for nosedive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nosedive
Noun
-
The decibel scale is logarithmic, meaning every 10 dB drop roughly halves perceived loudness – so the gap between the P-12 Business and a conventional ferry isn't a marginal improvement.—
Omar Kardoudi
April 09,
New Atlas,
9 Apr. 2026
-
The first three months of the year saw disparate trends in violence within the Chicago Police Department’s five patrol areas, records show, with a mixed bag of increases and further drops.—
Sam Charles,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
What had seemed like a good way of chilling out was actually plunging me into a kind of crisis.—
Tim Parks,
New Yorker,
11 Apr. 2026
-
At the throat, a gold clasp held the plunging design in place.—
Chanel Vargas,
InStyle,
11 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Its size is particularly noticeable on sea days, and better for quick dips than doing laps.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Gas prices remain high across California, even after a slight dip, according to AAA.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Cortisol levels fell for both groups, according to the study.—
Mikayla Bunnell,
Hartford Courant,
11 Apr. 2026
-
Put simply, prices must fall still further in these metros for shoppers to cover the monthly nut.—
Shawn Tully,
Fortune,
11 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
But researchers who study fertility trends say the decline is driven by forces that have little to do with contraception access and that restricting it is unlikely to produce more births.—
Dr. Céline Gounder,
CBS News,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Cities and towns around the state with large immigrant populations have seen steep enrollment declines over the last year, says the Massachusetts Education Justice Alliance, as families have been deported or voluntarily returned to their home countries amidst heightened anxiety.—
State House News Service,
Boston Herald,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The loss was the seventh in eight games for the Ducks, who have tumbled from first to third in the Pacific Division standings and may now have to settle for a wild-card berth.—
Assistant Sports Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Apr. 2026
-
User days in 2002 tumbled 40% from the previous year, according to figures compiled by the outfitters association, from more than 502,000 in 2001 to 298,000 in 2002.—
John Meyer,
Denver Post,
13 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
What follows is a season-long descent into grave robbing, drug running and enough accessory-to-murder charges to keep the Dardano family lawyer very busy.—
Kennedy French,
Variety,
11 Apr. 2026
-
This shortened the skip phase and maintained higher temperatures throughout the descent, ensuring the outer char layer never cooled sufficiently to trap gas beneath it.—
Catherina Gioino,
Fortune,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Gennari and photographer Chris Fallows both agree the numbers of great whites plummeted a few years before Port and Starboard began their killing spree.—
Michael H Gavshon,
CBS News,
12 Apr. 2026
-
Video platforms launched roughly 470 new dramas every day in January, thanks to plummeting production costs.—
Nicholas Gordon,
Fortune,
12 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Nosedive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nosedive. Accessed 17 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
