nosedive 1 of 2

noun

ˈnōz-ˌdīv How to pronounce nosedive (audio)
Definition of nosedivenext
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 attack sent the Boeing 737 MAX into a nosedive that shed 15,000 feet in under a minute, ripping part of the rudder from its tail. — Mohammed Sergie, semafor.com, 1 Oct. 2026 Flydubai Flight 1073 began a sharp descent from 34,000 feet roughly two hours and 20 minutes after takeoff, and briefly entered a nosedive over the desert near the Saudi Arabia-Jordan border. — Gerry Shih, Washington Post, 30 Sep. 2026
Verb
Those bills landed in collections, and her credit score nose-dived. — Sarah Kwon, CBS News, 20 May 2026 Trust in Netanyahu’s government nose-dived after the deadly 2023 Hamas attack. — ABC News, 26 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for nosedive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nosedive
  1. drop
  2. plunge
  3. dip
  4. fall
  5. decline
  6. tumble
  7. descent
  8. plummet
Noun
  • To Nothing’s credit, the case gets IPX2 ingress protection, so a drop of rain now and then shouldn’t kill it.
    — Mark Knapp, PC Magazine, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Vaibhav steps into the India lineup in place of Ishan Kishan who has a groin injury and will bat at first drop unless India chooses to match him in an all left hand opening partnership with Abhishek Sharma.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of drop
Verb
  • Another Australian company, NextDC, plunged 40% on Wednesday after the company slashed its annual earnings forecast.
    — Ashley Capoot,Jordan Novet,Annie Palmer,Lora Kolodny,Kai Nicol-Schwarz,Caleigh Keating, CNBC, 26 Oct. 2026
  • There had been a temporary improvement but the onset of the Iran war has plunged the country back into crisis.
    — Rebekah Evans, TheWeek, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of plunge
Noun
  • Every day starts with a morning dip or at least a walk along the black-and-white promenade.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Oct. 2026
  • His dip in the polling this month seems less attributable to any new policy position or statements than to just a general gloom among California residents about the state’s direction, Baldassare said.
    — Andrew Graham October 27, Sacbee.com, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of dip
Verb
  • Enrollment has fallen, empty seats cost money, and difficult choices are unavoidable.
    — Tim Lonergan, Sun Sentinel, 29 Oct. 2026
  • The 6% lead for the No side falls outside the poll’s margin of error, which was around 3% according to PPIC.
    — Andrew Graham October 27, Sacbee.com, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of fall
Noun
  • But over the past year, the company has seen its share price decline by approximately a third, largely due to rising costs.
    — Rob Wile, NBC news, 29 Oct. 2026
  • The decline was among the most noteworthy changes in polling about the November ballot, PPIC poll director Mark Baldassare told The Sacramento Bee.
    — Andrew Graham October 27, Sacbee.com, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of decline
Verb
  • Styled by longtime collaborator and hairstylist Alyx Liu, Lovato’s dark raven locks tumbled down her shoulders in a loose curl pattern, adding to the visual drama.
    — Arushi Jacob, Footwear News, 29 Oct. 2026
  • As dryers tumbled and washers churned in the background last Wednesday, children at the Wash Smart Laundry on Summit Street in Elgin were learning skills to prepare them for kindergarten.
    — Rick West, Chicago Tribune, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of tumble
Noun
  • Arab Israelis of Palestinian descent make up 20% of the population but are often seen with suspicion because of their sympathies with other Palestinians.
    — Cara Anna, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2026
  • In theory, the war’s descent into a painful stalemate should open the door to diplomatic outcomes.
    — ALLISON MINOR, Foreign Affairs, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of descent
Verb
  • That sent the first two cars of the impacted train plummeting down a 13-foot slope.
    — JOSEPH WILSON, Arkansas Online, 29 Oct. 2026
  • As part of the preliminary investigation of Wednesday's crash, authorities said the Renfe train probably struck the Iryo train from behind, causing two coaches to derail and plummet down an embankment.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of plummet

Browse Nearby Words

nosed
nosedive
nose-dive
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Nosedive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nosedive. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of Pyrrhic

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

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

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

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Pwn, Skibidi, Girlboss and Other Words Added to the 2026 Scrabble Dictionary

The Words of the Week - Oct. 30

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
couple-laugh-cafe
Quiz: Foreign Phrases You Should Know Check out your bona fides and avoid any faux pas.
See All