INACTION Synonyms: 42 Similar and Opposite Words

inaction

noun

(ˌ)i-ˈnak-shən

Definition of inaction

as in inertia

lack of action or activity as a result of the park department's inaction, the city's pools are not ready to open for the summer

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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.

Recent Examples of inaction These spots are produced by Yellow Dot, a non-profit production studio founded by McKay to fight back against climate disinformation and inaction. — Tom Tapp, Deadline, 21 Oct. 2026 Muñiz helped defend the office’s inaction — even though New York’s attorney general acted on similar complaints in that state and netted a $25 million settlement for victims there. — Scott Maxwell, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 Oct. 2026 In some, the lawyer’s inaction had caused the clients to lose their appeal rights. — Samantha Melamed, ProPublica, 13 Oct. 2026 People reported incidents from 10, 20, even 40 years ago, and claimed to have regretted their inaction ever since. — Vanessa Bohns, Time, 6 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for inaction

Recent Examples of Synonyms for inaction

inertia

Noun

As for whether the report helps prompt change or becomes yet another weighty academic doorstop, that remains to be seen at City Hall, where entrenched political power often combines with bureaucratic inertia to stifle innovation.

— A.D. Quig, Chicago Tribune, 13 Oct. 2026
The researchers also focused on reducing the robot’s effective inertia, a property that describes how strongly an object resists changes in its motion.

— Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 10 Oct. 2026

Definition of inertia

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inaccurately

inaction

inactive

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“Inaction.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inaction. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of inaction

noun

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