slowdown
Americannoun
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slowdowns
plural
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a slowing down or delay in progress, action, etc.
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a deliberate slowing of pace by workers to win demands from their employers.
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Sports. a holding or passing tactic by a team to retain possession of the ball, puck, etc., or use up a maximal amount of time, as to safeguard a lead or thwart a high-scoring opponent.
noun
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the usual US and Canadian word for go-slow
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any slackening of pace
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of slowdown
First recorded in 1895–1900; noun use of verb phrase slow down
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:
That, combined with a slowdown in the Chinese economy and a reduction in sales overall, has made China a much more difficult market for European brands.
From BBC ● Sep. 7, 2026
PayPal has attributed the slowdown partly to the “K-shaped economy,” in which wealthier Americans see their incomes rise while lower-income Americans struggle financially.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2026
Baucom says the slowdown appears to stem from a conflict between two potentially useful traits.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 4, 2026
Private companies added 38,000 employees to payrolls in August, a slowdown from July and fewer than economists had anticipated, according to the latest survey from ADP.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026
The ripple of the slowdown thudded back through the cars to the tail of the train.
From "Ship Breaker" by Paolo Bacigalupi
The statistical results also identified a cluster of evolutionary slowdowns around 15 million years ago, which coincided with another major geological event.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 30, 2026
Some theater owners, hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic and production slowdowns, have expressed concerns the merger would lead to fewer films being made.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026
Still, some say gold has structural support as economic slowdowns, rising sovereign debt and political risks favor defensive assets in the medium- and long-term.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 28, 2026
The S&P 500 faces increased correction risk from potential slowdowns in AI investment, higher bond yields, and inflation.
From Barron's ● Feb. 18, 2026
Solution: investment in machinery that moved slaughtered livestock from one place to the next, eliminating slowdowns.
From "A Few Red Drops: The Chicago Race Riot of 1919" by Claire Hartfield
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.
