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

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In the 2010s, the overall company was sustained by the steady performance of Old Navy, which now generates just more than half of revenues, but the downward spiral of the Gap was starting to seem inexorable. — Phil Wahba, Fortune, 28 Aug. 2026 What happened at the trial Clancy’s former husband, Patrick Clancy, testified about her downward spiral, full of hospital visits and about a dozen medications to treat her insomnia, anxiety, and depression. — Nicki Brown, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2026 The episode chronicled his meteoric rise at Texas and the events that ultimately sent his career into a downward spiral. — Nasha Smith, PEOPLE, 27 Aug. 2026 The Dodgers found their way out of their recent downward spiral, though, and that was enough of a relief for their new ace and back-to-back Cy Young winner. — Los Angeles Times, 11 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for downward spiral

Rhymes for downward spiral

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Browse Nearby Words

downward dog
downward spiral
downwarp
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Cite this Entry

“Downward spiral.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/downward%20spiral. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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