recession

noun

ri-ˈse-shən How to pronounce recession (audio)
Definition of recessionnext
1
as in slump
a period of decreased economic activity the country is just coming out of a recession, so expect to see fewer layoffs and more new jobs in the coming year

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in withdrawal
an act of moving away especially from something difficult, dangerous, or disagreeable a retiring CEO making a gradual recession from the daily rigors of running a major corporation

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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 recession The Foundation attributes the stagnation in Millennial incomes directly to the timing of recession entry. — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 3 July 2026 Renewables were the world’s largest source of total energy supply growth last year for the first time outside a recession, according to a new Energy Institute report, with solar accounting for 72% of the total. — Andy Browne, semafor.com, 30 June 2026 America’s centennial in 1876 was celebrated with a grand exhibition that projected an image of national unity and inventiveness in the anxious aftermath of civil war and recession. — The New York Review of Books, 4 July 2026 The National Bureau of Economic Research dates the contraction that began in 1929 as ending in March 1933, though the broader Depression lasted for years and the economy suffered another severe recession in 1937-38 before World War II. — Dan Mangan,luke Fountain,kevin Breuninger,garrett Downs,ashley Capoot,justin Papp, CNBC, 2 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for recession
Recent Examples of Synonyms for recession
  1. slump
  2. withdrawal
  3. retreat
  4. retirement
Noun
  • Bregman has been a consistent presence at the plate for the Red Sox as well as the Houston Astros in his career, so the slump is fairly surprising.
    — Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
  • Drake Baldwin snapped an 0-for-36 slump with a single in the seventh.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 1 July 2026
Definition of slump
Noun
  • That means withdrawals will be taxed as ordinary income and could be subject to early withdrawal penalties if used for unqualified expenses.
    — Medora Lee, USA Today, 3 July 2026
  • Critics counter that the abrupt withdrawal of aid is already having devastating humanitarian consequences.
    — W. Gyude Moore, semafor.com, 2 July 2026
Definition of withdrawal
Noun
  • View gallery - 18 images US design firm Renée del Gaudio Architecture has completed a 2,100-sq-ft (195-sq-m) retreat in Allenspark, Colorado.
    — Bridget Borgobello July 03, New Atlas, 4 July 2026
  • The two-bed, two-bath main residence is indeed a retreat, with two separate studios for guests.
    — Nielsen Dinwoodie, Forbes.com, 4 July 2026
Definition of retreat
Noun
  • The World Economic Forum calls it financial nihilism — the conclusion that the system no longer rewards prudence, driving a cohort toward crypto bets, prediction markets, and raided retirement accounts.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 6 July 2026
  • Conversations about retirement, grandchildren, travel, caregiving, second careers, and personal reinvention tend to feel natural within that environment.
    — Matthew Kayser Updated July 6, Miami Herald, 6 July 2026
Definition of retirement

Browse Nearby Words

recessing
recession
recessional
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Recession.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/recession. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on recession

Nglish: Translation of recession for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about recession

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!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of gambol

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All