downward spiral

noun

: a situation in which something continuously decreases or gets worse
Her life was in a downward spiral as she battled depression and addiction.

Examples of downward spiral in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Unfortunately for the Bruins, the return of Ethan Garbers, who missed last week’s game against Penn State because of an ankle injury, wasn’t enough to halt their downward spiral. Anthony De Leon, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2024 Intel is trying to pull itself out of a downward spiral and is reportedly considering selling off parts of its business, but its PC chipset design business is core, making this an extraordinary potential turn of events. Alicia Adamczyk, Fortune, 6 Sep. 2024 More News: Jets' Aaron Rodgers Reportedly Refused Scans on Multiple Injuries The Jets are in a downward spiral with a 3-8 record, and Rodgers is enduring one of the most challenging seasons of his career, with just 17 touchdowns and 7 interceptions. Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 26 Nov. 2024 Still, scientists warn the basin remains in a downward spiral; rising temperatures have sucked more than 10 trillion gallons of water out of the river system between 2000 and 2021, according to researchers at UCLA. Ella Nilsen, CNN, 20 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for downward spiral 

Dictionary Entries Near downward spiral

Cite this Entry

“Downward spiral.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/downward%20spiral. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!