boom-and-bust
Americanadjective
Etymology
Origin of boom-and-bust
First recorded in 1940–45
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“The inevitable correction to this is that buyers will find a cheaper way and companies that put on too much capacity end up with a boom-and-bust cycle,” Shih said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026
Big equipment manufacturers such as GE Vernova and Siemens Energy have been cautious about their expansion plans, still haunted by memories of a painful power-equipment boom-and-bust cycle in the early 2000s.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 1, 2026
However, Barron’s has previously argued it could double from its current levels as booming memory demand driven by artificial-intelligence hardware moves it beyond its normal boom-and-bust cycle.
From Barron's ● Jul. 1, 2026
The sector has historically been known for its boom-and-bust nature.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 18, 2026
From 1926 on, Odessa became forever enmeshed in the cycles of the boom-and-bust oil town.
From "Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream" by H.G. Bissinger
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
