downward spiral

American  

[doun-werd spahy-ruhl] / ˈdaʊn wərd ˈspaɪ rəl /

noun

1. a continuous, usually rapid negative trend, especially one with a repeated and worsening cycle of events or states.

   The more I doubted myself, the more confused I became, in a vicious downward spiral.

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Etymology

Origin of downward spiral

First recorded in 1870–80

Example Sentences

Shares of Oracle have been stuck in a downward spiral for months, but the tide may finally turn for the software and cloud giant.

From MarketWatch

If these firms are forced to sell their bitcoin holdings to stay afloat, it could flood the market and amplify a downward spiral in prices.

From Barron's

So why is a downward spiral in standards seemingly happening?

From BBC

"We have to improve something because we want to break this downward spiral that we're already somewhat into."

From Barron's

Still, they think the decline was primarily driven by the downward spiral of the property sector, local governments’ fiscal woes, and Beijing’s efforts to crack down on excess competition.

From The Wall Street Journal