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downdraft

American  
[daun-draft, -drahft] / ˈdaʊnˌdræft, -ˌdrɑft /

noun

  1. a downward current, as of air.

    a downdraft in a mine shaft.

  2. a downward movement, as of the stock market.


downdraft Scientific  
/ doun′drăft′ /
  1. A downward moving current of air in a cumulonimbus cloud.

  2. Compare updraft


Etymology

Origin of downdraft

First recorded in 1780–90; down 1 + draft


Vocabulary lists containing downdraft

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.

See Examples For:

After a long, painful downdraft that erased more some $2.2 trillion in value, cryptocurrencies — and, notably, bitcoin — have come roaring back this week.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 21, 2026

“We along with many others had this downdraft in commercial real-estate loans, and now it’s just starting to pick up. It’s good to see,” said John Stern, chief financial officer of U.S.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

Microsoft is oversold in absolute and relative terms following a steep downdraft, so it may have less downside than the rest of the Magnificent Seven.

From Barron's ● Apr. 10, 2026

None of this means that the downdraft that has pared the Dow by 1.65%, the S&P by 3.5% and the Nasdaq by 7.8% so far this year won’t resume or get worse.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 18, 2025

The downdraft arrived, that eerie second before a big storm hits, just before the wind swoops through and brings in the hard rain.

From Each Little Bird That Sings by Deborah Wiles

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