NOSE-DIVE Synonyms: 73 Similar and Opposite Words

nosedive 1 of 2

noun

ˈnōz-ˌdīv

Definition of nosedive

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

nose-dive

2 of 2

verb

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

Noun

The nosedive in trust in journalism is multifactorial, and journalists themselves are not without blame. — Adrienne Lafrance, The Atlantic, 1 June 2026 The Postpartum Hormone Plunge The primary culprit behind this sudden desert-dry texture is the dramatic hormonal nosedive that occurs immediately after childbirth. — Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal, Parents, 28 May 2026

Verb

The young actor was hoping to earn his first Oscar for his performance in Josh Safdie’s ping-pong caper Marty Supreme, but a bold awards campaign took a nose-dive in early March, unhelped by Chalamet’s opera-ballet comments. — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 13 Apr. 2026 The noise of the engines, the mounting anxiety of his wife and sister-in-law, who may have cried out as the plane nose-dived, could only have increased his own. — Jeffrey Eugenides, New Yorker, 4 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for nosedive

Recent Examples of Synonyms for nosedive

Noun

Changes over the seven days ranged from a drop of 5% to an increase of 2%.

— Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 11 July 2026
Another investigator testified that the distance from the apparent sniper's perch to the tent where Kirk was speaking was about 410 feet, with a 68-foot vertical drop.

— N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 10 July 2026

Definition of drop

Verb

Though brief, Yoon’s martial law declaration plunged South Korea into a political crisis, paralyzing politics and high-level diplomacy while rattling financial markets.

— ABC News, ABC News, 9 July 2026
By June, China’s imports plunged below 7 million barrels daily, effectively lowering global oil demand by almost 5 million barrels per day.

— Jordan Blum, Fortune, 9 July 2026

Definition of plunge

Noun

Being in vacation mode also ushers in a more carefree attitude because there’s something magical about summer activities like catching lightning bugs and watching the blazing oranges and pinks of a setting sun dip below the horizon.

— Gretchen McKay, Boston Herald, 8 July 2026
Strategic Education focuses on upskilling working adults for career advancement, addressing a critical market need despite recent revenue dips.

— Robert Daugherty, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026

Definition of dip

Verb

Some older employees who have benefited from a booming stock market may be retiring feeling comfortable with their 401(k)s, though that doesn’t explain why the participation rate for people ages 25 to 55 has fallen.

— Rachel Barber, USA Today, 9 July 2026
But for some Atlanta businesses, the major soccer tournament has fallen far short of expectations.

— Amy Wenk, AJC.com, 9 July 2026

Definition of fall

Noun

If inflation is outpacing nominal interest rates, the real return on bonds and other income-producing assets declines or even becomes negative.

— Faith Wakefield, USA Today, 8 July 2026
This decline has pinched profit margins in the 401(k) world, said Kai Richter, an attorney with Cohen Milstein who has long specialized in ERISA class-action cases.

— Paul Kiel, ProPublica, 8 July 2026

Definition of decline

Verb

On their way in, crews had to clear debris from multiple floors; aside from chunks of concrete, masonry and flooring, obstacles included a bathroom sink and toilet that had tumbled down from above.

— Mery Mogollón, Los Angeles Times, 5 July 2026
Tongaat tumbled into business rescue — similar to Chapter 11 in the US — after corrupt bookkeeping practices blew a hole in its balance sheet in 2018.

— Tiisetso Motsoeneng, semafor.com, 3 July 2026

Definition of tumble

Noun

The 61-year-old was treated in Greece for neck and shoulder injuries and friction burns, after a sudden cabin depressurization triggered oxygen masks and a rapid descent.

— Costas Kantouris, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2026
Both Carpenter and Obeng are Black, but as the lawsuit reads, Carpenter is not of either Canadian nationality or Ghanaian descent.

— Ilana Arougheti July 10, Kansas City Star, 10 July 2026

Definition of descent

Verb

The temperature that day had reached 99 degrees and the city had wilted, but the downpour caused the mercury to plummet a good 10 degrees.

— Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2026
In Grokipedia’s example, the site's traffic plummeted between January and February 2026.

— Bar Maimon, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026

Definition of plummet

Browse Nearby Words

nosed

nosedive

nose-dive

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Nosedive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nosedive. Accessed 11 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of nosedive

noun

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on nosedive

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

xeric

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Popular in Wordplay

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 10

Popular

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes