STAGNATION Synonyms: 19 Similar and Opposite Words

stagnation

noun

Definition of stagnation

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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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 stagnation Creator Zoe Lister-Jones stars as Mae, an urbanite at a marital impasse, looking ahead to a future that promises only domestic stagnation. — Judy Berman, Time, 11 Aug. 2026 Aurelius uses similar techniques across the record, which lends to a certain sameyness by the end, though the tracks’ varied tempos, each one plotted at a different point on the downtempo spectrum, help offset any stagnation. — Philip Sherburne, Pitchfork, 4 Aug. 2026 Other competitions like Champions League vary based on performance, not to mention the gradual stagnation of that overall pile of money, as Latty pointed out. — Justin Birnbaum, Sportico.com, 3 Aug. 2026 Merz took office less than 15 months ago with pledges to reform and turn around Germany’s economy, Europe’s biggest, after years of stagnation. — ABC News, 24 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for stagnation

Recent Examples of Synonyms for stagnation

Noun

In the 9/11 crisis and the recession, that’s when forward guidance began, and then it was institutionalized in the great financial crisis.

— Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 29 Aug. 2026
The lipstick index is an economic theory holding that sales of affordable discretionary spending or luxuries skyrocket when consumers believe an economic recession is impending.

— Sarah Glodek, Fortune, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of recession

Noun

Unitree’s recent slump has raised concerns about how Beijing may boost emerging strategic sectors without stoking a speculative frenzy.

— Anniek Bao,Elaine Yu, CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
Cal Raleigh busted out of a season-long slump with the first three-homer game of his career Monday night.

— ABC News, ABC News, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of slump

Noun

The glacier was likely a cirque glacier, the officials said, which is a glacier that has formed in a depression or basin high in the mountains.

— Claire Cameron, Scientific American, 27 Aug. 2026
Sprague said the motive in the killings came down to giving Clancy a way out of her depression.

— Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of depression

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stagnating

stagnation

stagnations

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“Stagnation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stagnation. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of stagnation

noun

Example Sentences

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