as in slump
a situation in which something (such as business or economic activity) decreases or becomes worse
—usually singular
an economic downturn There's been a downturn in the housing market.
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Recent Examples of downturn
The market downturn put some stocks across the real estate, consumer staples, health care and technology sectors into oversold territory, positioning them for a potential rebound in the near term.
—
Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 4 Apr. 2026
The major downturns of the past, such as the crashes of 1929, 2000 and 2008, have been caused less by external events than by business and investment internals, such as threats to economic structure — over-leveraging in the first, the dot-com crash in the second and the housing crash in the third.
—Michael Hiltzik, Boston Herald, 3 Apr. 2026
Oil markets are closed for trading today as a result of the Easter holiday, but the rising crude oil price is likely to intensify fears of a market downturn, fuel shortages and food security issues.
—Max Burman, NBC news, 3 Apr. 2026
Each downturn tested how much of that enthusiasm was durable—and how much depended on the next buyer showing up.
—Doug Ashburn, Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for downturn
Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 4 Apr. 2026
The major downturns of the past, such as the crashes of 1929, 2000 and 2008, have been caused less by external events than by business and investment internals, such as threats to economic structure — over-leveraging in the first, the dot-com crash in the second and the housing crash in the third.
—Michael Hiltzik, Boston Herald, 3 Apr. 2026
Oil markets are closed for trading today as a result of the Easter holiday, but the rising crude oil price is likely to intensify fears of a market downturn, fuel shortages and food security issues.
—Max Burman, NBC news, 3 Apr. 2026
Each downturn tested how much of that enthusiasm was durable—and how much depended on the next buyer showing up.
—Doug Ashburn, Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for downturn
Recent Examples of Synonyms for downturn
Noun
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His response to his slump showed that he is built for New York.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
31 Mar. 2026
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Starting off in a slump, especially a season that comes with such high expectations, is never easy.—
Paul Johnson,
Chicago Tribune,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Police then pursued the Infiniti driver north on Campbell Avenue and used a tire deflation device, Allard said.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
1 Apr. 2026
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The slowdown in headline inflation was largely driven by deepening energy deflation, following the resumption of generous electricity and gas subsidies, Surya said.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
23 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Unemployment insurance claims stood at 202,000 in the week ending March 28, a decrease of 9,000 from the previous week, according to Labor Department data.—
Rachel Barber,
USA Today,
3 Apr. 2026
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In addition to the decaying physical structure, Richards highlighted a decrease in correction officer staffing levels such that people inside do not feel safe.—
Steve Zeidman,
New York Daily News,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
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All of the cumulative regions the wave passes through, with all of the growth and shrinkages that occur, imprint themselves onto the wave, as do the initial and final gravitational potentials.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
3 Apr. 2026
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Warm water can cause slight shrinkage in linen and cotton, but won’t generally affect synthetics.—
Caroline Lubinsky,
Martha Stewart,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The falloff and fatigue after 83 points is very real.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
13 Mar. 2026
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Offseason price falloffs are common in all sports, and those at the top are often among the most impacted.—
Benjamin Burrows,
New York Times,
7 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The stock spent most of the back half of last year in a downtrend, making lower highs and undercutting its 200-day.—
Josh Brown,Sean Russo,
CNBC,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Recent history suggests this could be the start of another downtrend if the Knicks don’t stop the bleeding quickly.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
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In both films, the effect is of a diminution, a depersonalization—not to say, a desecration of the experience of horror that the documentary element embodies.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
27 Mar. 2026
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Several reasons account for this diminution.—
Jason Fogelson,
AJC.com,
20 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The hotel has set waste and water reduction targets, including plastic and food waste prevention.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
5 Apr. 2026
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Pollution reduction, congestion reduction, improved safety, comfort, reliability.—
Jon Wertheim,
CBS News,
5 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Downturn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/downturn. Accessed 7 Apr. 2026.
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