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slow (down) 1 of 2

verb

Definition of slow (down)next
as in to die (down)

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slowdown

2 of 2

noun

ˈslō-ˌdau̇n How to pronounce slowdown (audio)
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)
  1. weaken
  2. decline
  3. slacken
  4. deceleration
  5. flag
  6. slump
  7. taper off
  8. drop
Verb
  • People familiar with the deliberations said lawmakers worried the requirements would raise drug prices and weaken national security by revealing the precise locations where lifesaving medications are made.
    — Naisha Roy, ProPublica, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Macron warned that the attacks would not go unanswered and accused Moscow of trying to intimidate Europeans into weakening their support for Ukraine.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 18 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
  • New clinical data on infrared therapy’s effects on detox and circulation, the emerging research Srinivasa flagged.
    — Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 23 Sep. 2026
  • There are definite signs of flagging Republican interest in the Georgia race.
    — Greg Bluestein, AJC.com, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of flag
Noun
  • From this perspective, the fertility slump is a record of frustrated longing.
    — Margaret Talbot, New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2026
  • China remains a key battleground for luxury brands seeking to revive growth after a two-year slump.
    — Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of slump
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
  • Citibank attributed Wednesday's more than 6% drop to Mercari's announcement of the Pokémon card listing restrictions.
    — Jenny Lee, CNBC, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Atomic energy, the piece noted, held enough power in a drop of water to run 500 locomotives for an hour.
    — J.D. Capelouto, semafor.com, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of drop

Browse Nearby Words

slow burn
slow (down)
slowdown
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Cite this Entry

“Slow (down).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slow%20%28down%29. Accessed 24 Sep. 2026.

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