as in recession
a lack of activity or development and especially economic development
After years of economic stagnation, employment numbers began to rise.
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Recent Examples of stagnation
Offensive stagnation cannot be brushed off as temporary chemistry issues.
—
Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 21 Feb. 2026
However, after four years of war, the combination of exclusion from European markets and a tripling of military spending has led to economic stagnation and mounting pressure on living standards.
—Elizaveta Gaufman, The Conversation, 21 Feb. 2026
This stagnation could be driven by the exhaustion of training data; a shortage of electricity to power massive data centers; or a shortage of capital.
—Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 19 Feb. 2026
Japan has been struggling with a pervasive sense of stagnation and disillusionment born of decades of deflation, wage stagnation, demographic decline and a creeping loss of confidence in the country’s place in the world.
—Jeff Kingston, Time, 15 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for stagnation
Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 21 Feb. 2026
However, after four years of war, the combination of exclusion from European markets and a tripling of military spending has led to economic stagnation and mounting pressure on living standards.
—Elizaveta Gaufman, The Conversation, 21 Feb. 2026
This stagnation could be driven by the exhaustion of training data; a shortage of electricity to power massive data centers; or a shortage of capital.
—Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 19 Feb. 2026
Japan has been struggling with a pervasive sense of stagnation and disillusionment born of decades of deflation, wage stagnation, demographic decline and a creeping loss of confidence in the country’s place in the world.
—Jeff Kingston, Time, 15 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for stagnation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stagnation
Noun
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Over the past three years, largely due to an industry-wide recession, the company’s sales have nearly halved, dropping from over €10 billion in 2022 to around €6 billion in 2025.—
Elektra Kotsoni,
Vogue,
27 Feb. 2026
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His leadership is credited with helping pull the company from the brink of closure in the aftermath of the 2008 recession.—
Noelle Lilley,
CBS News,
26 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Home-buying expectations were little changed in February, generally a slow time for the housing market, which has been mired in a yearslong slump.—
Matt Ott,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Feb. 2026
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Home-buying expectations were little changed in February, generally a slow time for the housing market, which has been mired in a years-long slump.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
24 Feb. 2026
Noun
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In Aidarov’s spiral, bodily imprints from hundreds of thousands of migrant workers layer upon one another, the faint depressions of exhausted sleep compressed into a monument that cannot move.—
Anel Rakhimzhanova,
Artforum,
1 Mar. 2026
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The 1893 silver crash and the following regional depression left the area in decline, turning it into skid row with brothels, speakeasies, pawn shops and widespread crime.—
Jessica Alvarado Gamez,
Denver Post,
1 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stagnation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stagnation. Accessed 3 Mar. 2026.
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