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Synonyms

nosedive

American  
[nohz-dahyv] / ˈnoʊzˌdaɪv /

noun

  1. a plunge of an aircraft with the forward part pointing downward.

  2. a sudden sharp drop or rapid decline.

    a time when market values were in a nosedive.


verb (used without object)

nosedived, nosedove, nosedived, nosediving
  1. to go into a nosedive.

    a warning that prices might nosedive.

Etymology

Origin of nosedive

First recorded in 1910–15; nose + dive


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:

Although I had already consulted with three orthopedic surgeons, Drew, who married me despite my nosedive in the parking lot, wanted me to see Dr. Bert Mandelbaum at Cedars-Sinai.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 23, 2026

The deal ballooned Whirlpool’s net debt to more than $6 billion just as the U.S. housing market took a nosedive amid spiking interest rates.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026

Barring a dramatic nosedive, the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite are set to finish the April-through-June period with their best quarterly gains in six years.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 30, 2026

But months later, when the show aired, she said she took "a total nosedive" with everything.

From BBC ● May 18, 2026

Their fighting had gotten worse after Celia’s grades took a nosedive and she didn’t get into the honors track for high school.

From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison

While the economics of new production shows have nosedived with the collapse of the broadcast monoculture, “Seinfeld” rights have remained one of highest dollar-fetching properties of the streaming era.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026

The Sun leads with a "£20m crash probe" after "two pilots steered away from buildings and ejected before the Hawk T2 nosedived and exploded near RAF Valley, North Wales, last month".

From BBC ● Oct. 19, 2026

That is six without a victory now, the worst run since 2018-19, when form nosedived after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was confirmed as permanent manager.

From BBC ● Oct. 18, 2026

Newton notes the Russell 3000 McClellan Summation Index — a breadth indicator — is sitting near its June peak and while, drifting sideways, hasn’t nosedived, which is often the precursor to a bigger downturn.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 19, 2026

More than a million Cubans have left the island in recent years, and birth rates have nosedived.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 20, 2026

One video showed a drone nosediving toward one of the warehouses as air-raid sirens rang out and a loudspeaker announcement instructed employees to seek shelter.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 18, 2026

Digital-asset funds experienced a significant downturn in the fourth quarter, with the average fund nosediving 19.2%.

From Barron's ● Jan. 8, 2026

Only this time, most of the butterflies had died inside the envelopes by the time the guests opened them — and the few that survived ended up nosediving into the fountain.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 23, 2022

He added that “an adequately trained pilot could have quickly averted the crises” using other tools in the cockpit to override the errant system and save the nosediving planes.

From Washington Post ● Oct. 21, 2022

He had earlier said the airport's reputation was "nosediving" as passengers queued for hours in order to catch flights.

From BBC ● Apr. 1, 2022

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