SLOWDOWN Synonyms: 68 Similar and Opposite Words

slow (down) 1 of 2

verb

Definition of slow (down)

as in to die (down)

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

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

Taking the third spot is Australian design startup Canva, which indicated a hiring slowdown, followed by Microsoft in fourth. — Chad De Guzman, Time, 3 Nov. 2026 When assessing the probability of a conflict in the Taiwan Strait, analysts tend to focus on a few obvious risks that China would face—namely, military defeat, economic slowdown, and restricted oil and technology imports. — Joel Wuthnow, Foreign Affairs, 2 Nov. 2026 Investors were concerned about a slowdown in Google’s search advertising business and a ramp-up in AI spending. — Lucy Bayly, CNN Money, 30 Oct. 2026 In particular, enforcing an AI slowdown would require an extraordinary expansion of the government’s surveillance and investigative powers. — Washington Post, 30 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for slow (down)

Recent Examples of Synonyms for slow (down)

Verb

The regime remains capable of suppressing any organized resistance in the country, but the growing disaffection of the elite threatens to weaken the state from within.

— Jieun Baek, Foreign Affairs, 30 Oct. 2026
Eisenkot's allies could also try to reverse legislation advanced by Netanyahu's government that critics say weakened Israel's democratic institutions and judicial independence.

— Itay Stern, NPR, 30 Oct. 2026

Definition of weaken

Noun

And Musk’s businesses took a hit on Wednesday after already seeing declines in overnight trading.

— Zach Halaschak, The Washington Examiner, 5 Nov. 2026
Consequently, industry experts emphasize that underlying supply tightness remains unchanged, suggesting overnight crude price declines reflect short term market sentiment reactions to election results rather than shifting fundamentals.

— , CNBC, 5 Nov. 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

Amazon's earnings call also made clear that the deceleration in advertising growth in the third quarter was partially due to Prime Day shifting into the second quarter in 2026, rather than the July-to-September quarter last year.

— Matthew J. Belvedere, CNBC, 30 Oct. 2026
Analysts had predicted that the third-quarter luxury earnings would be challenging, notably due to a sequential deceleration in China.

— Laure Guilbault, Vogue, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of deceleration

Noun

In downtown Tehran, cafes are constantly packed — a striking sight for a country grappling with Western sanctions and an economic slump exacerbated by the war.

— CBS News, CBS News, 2 Nov. 2026
Micron , SanDisk , Western Digital — Memory stocks fell, continuing their Friday slump.

— Scott Schnipper, CNBC, 2 Nov. 2026

Definition of slump

Verb

Rain should taper off as the front passes, with drier weather following later in the day.

— Newsroom Meteorologist, Austin American Statesman, 2 Nov. 2026
After a weekend marked by consistent downpours, South Florida will see more rain in the beginning of the week before tapering off into drier conditions at the end of the week.

— Abigail Hasebroock, Sun Sentinel, 2 Nov. 2026

Definition of taper off

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

Browse Nearby Words

slow burn

slow (down)

slowdown

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Slow (down).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slow%20%28down%29. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of slow (down)

verb

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

quondam

Popular in Grammar & Usage

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?

Popular in Wordplay

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Old-Timey Vehicles

The Words of the Week - Nov. 6

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes