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Synonyms

inflationary spiral

American  

noun

Economics.
  1. spiral7


inflationary spiral British  

noun

  1. the situation in which price and income increases may each induce further rises in the other

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of inflationary spiral

First recorded in 1930–35

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.

That began to change in 1950, when the process of paying for war expenses had triggered an inflationary spiral.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 27, 2025

The government, trying to address the impact of rising prices while preventing an inflationary spiral, has been keen to promote such tax-free payments, which have featured in other wage deals in recent months.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 26, 2023

A survey of households released on Monday by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York showed a sharp decline in consumers’ inflation expectations, supporting the view that an inflationary spiral is not taking hold.

From New York Times • Aug. 9, 2022

The government has urged wage restraint to avoid an inflationary spiral.

From Reuters • Jun. 23, 2022

Today, the inflationary spiral which had raised the cost of living by 36 percent between 1946 and 1952 has all but ceased and the value of the dollar virtually stabilized.

From State of the Union Address by Eisenhower, Dwight D. (Dwight David)