SLOW (DOWN) Synonyms: 68 Similar and Opposite Words

slow (down) 1 of 2

verb

Definition of slow (down)

as in to die (down)

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slowdown

2 of 2

noun

ˈslō-ˌdau̇n

as in decline

a usually gradual decrease in the pace or level of activity of something disease experts are encouraged by the recent slowdown in the spread of the virus

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 slow (down)

Noun

In 2026, the Granite State labor market began to show signs of recovery from its 2025 slowdown. — Ben Reynolds, Washington Post, 21 Sep. 2026 On Monday, Republican nominee Mike Rogers called for an AI slowdown in an X post after Amodei’s warning. — Jill Colvin, Chicago Tribune, 19 Sep. 2026 Any slowdown risks undoing those stock valuations, which would in turn ding household wealth and diminish corporate investment. — Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 18 Sep. 2026 In response to the slowdown, suppliers struggled to keep their prices in line for their business to business clients. — Sofia Celeste, Footwear News, 18 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for slow (down)

Recent Examples of Synonyms for slow (down)

Verb

Higher borrowing costs can eventually weaken loan demand and increase stress among borrowers.

— Alexa LoMonaco, CNBC, 25 Sep. 2026
Recent polling supports the article’s claim that Latino support has weakened amid concerns about inflation, immigration enforcement, jobs and wages.

— Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026

Definition of weaken

Noun

That was a sharp decline from the previous few years, when more than 100,000 people died of drug overdoses.

— Eric Levenson, CNN Money, 23 Sep. 2026
But the new report, which also presents trends over the past decade, shows a decline in suicidal thinking and behaviors, which initially showed up in the 2023 YRBS data.

— Rhitu Chatterjee, NPR, 23 Sep. 2026

Definition of decline

Verb

His power slackened in 2025 before a slight resurgence this season.

— Andy McCullough, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
During an El Niño, those winds slacken, and the warm water slides eastward, leading to waters becoming generally one to two degrees Celsius above normal in the area around the Galápagos.

— Andrea Thompson, Scientific American, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of slacken

Noun

Regenerative braking and deceleration also convert kinetic energy into driving range for the Prius by feeding its self-charging hybrid battery.

— Charles Singh, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2026
The beds can contain hundreds of blocks laid out in a grid, growing progressively deeper so an aircraft slows without subjecting the landing gear — or the people aboard — to extreme deceleration forces that can be deadly in a crash.

— Pete Muntean, CNN Money, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of deceleration

Verb

Rather than simply flagging when a live stream has broken, Pixentinel aims to determine where a failure originated supplu evidence to the diagnosis and, where possible, automatically trigger a response.

— Callum McLennan, Variety, 25 Sep. 2026
Funds get held in reserve, accounts get flagged, and in the worst cases, the account gets shut down entirely, with no explanation of what went wrong or why the tool failed.

— Wayne Hamilton, Forbes.com, 25 Sep. 2026

Definition of flag

Verb

Any precipitation should taper off later Monday, though clouds may linger into the evening, making for a gray day, the weather service said.

— Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 21 Sep. 2026
As the rains tapered off and the skies cleared, Paterson's annual Dominican parade stepped off Sunday afternoon, though with a slight delay.

— ABC News, ABC News, 13 Sep. 2026

Definition of taper off

Noun

One play before the touchdown, Cobb made up for his earlier drop with a catch-and-run on a screen pass that went for 46 yards and moved the ball to the Kennesaw State 2.

— Michael Harley, Arkansas Online, 27 Sep. 2026
The travel-booking company also says that travelers headed to major cities for Thanksgiving or Christmas could see a price drop for hotels in the last 24-48 hours before the holiday.

— Ayesha Ali, ABC News, 26 Sep. 2026

Definition of drop

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slow burn

slow (down)

slowdown

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“Slow (down).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slow%20%28down%29. Accessed 27 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of slow (down)

verb

noun

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