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
The gig saved her from a downward spiral but also relegated her to the shadows, as her brothers basked in the sunlight of their windowed top-floor offices.
—
Judy Berman, TIME, 27 Feb. 2025
Shoppers in the United States contributed to that downward spiral, with high-end fashion spending per household falling 12 percent year over year in 2023 and 9 percent year over year in 2024.
—Tori Latham, Robb Report, 29 Jan. 2025
Teams that could/should be interested New York Rangers The Rangers looked to make some core changes after a downward spiral through much of November and December.
—Shayna Goldman, The Athletic, 21 Jan. 2025
This can lead to overwhelm and a case of analysis paralysis, which ultimately leads you down the downward spiral of procrastination and not launching any independent venture at all.
—Rachel Wells, Forbes, 5 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for downward spiral
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Judy Berman, TIME, 27 Feb. 2025
Shoppers in the United States contributed to that downward spiral, with high-end fashion spending per household falling 12 percent year over year in 2023 and 9 percent year over year in 2024.
—Tori Latham, Robb Report, 29 Jan. 2025
Teams that could/should be interested New York Rangers The Rangers looked to make some core changes after a downward spiral through much of November and December.
—Shayna Goldman, The Athletic, 21 Jan. 2025
This can lead to overwhelm and a case of analysis paralysis, which ultimately leads you down the downward spiral of procrastination and not launching any independent venture at all.
—Rachel Wells, Forbes, 5 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for downward spiral
Cite this Entry
“Downward spiral.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/downward%20spiral. Accessed 14 Mar. 2025.
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