1
: a downward nose-first plunge of a flying object (such as an airplane)
2
: a sudden extreme drop
stock prices took a nosedive
nose-dive
intransitive verb
Examples of nosedive in a Sentence
The plane went into a nosedive.
The stock market took a nosedive.
Recent Examples on the Web
Will three consecutive defeats in all competitions become a nosedive?
—
George Caulkin, New York Times, 11 Feb. 2026
The nosedive in relations between America and its neighbor had little impact on markets this morning.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 10 Feb. 2026
The company pointed to the downturn in consumer confidence—which took a nosedive to a 12-year low in January, according to the Conference Board—as the culprit behind shoppers’ trepidation.
—Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 10 Feb. 2026
Yet a nosedive in his production accompanied lower-body issues that turned out to be a rare thigh injury that required surgery and cost the 21-year-old his first Olympic nod for Team Sweden.
—Andrew Knoll, Oc Register, 7 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for nosedive
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George Caulkin, New York Times, 11 Feb. 2026
The nosedive in relations between America and its neighbor had little impact on markets this morning.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 10 Feb. 2026
The company pointed to the downturn in consumer confidence—which took a nosedive to a 12-year low in January, according to the Conference Board—as the culprit behind shoppers’ trepidation.
—Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 10 Feb. 2026
Yet a nosedive in his production accompanied lower-body issues that turned out to be a rare thigh injury that required surgery and cost the 21-year-old his first Olympic nod for Team Sweden.
—Andrew Knoll, Oc Register, 7 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for nosedive
Cite this Entry
“Nosedive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nosedive. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
nosedive
1 of 2 noun
nose·dive
ˈnōz-ˌdīv 
1
: a downward nose-first plunge (as of an airplane)
2
: a sudden extreme drop (as in prices)
nose-dive
2 of 2 verb
nose-dived; nose-diving
: to plunge suddenly or sharply
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