1
as in suspension
a state of temporary inactivity
some volcanoes have eruptive cycles marked by long stretches of dormancy
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in inertia
lack of action or activity
a fighting force that could be roused instantly from dormancy to action
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dormancy
Warm-season turf will look brown and dead during its dormancy in the cool months of fall and winter.
—
Markis Hill, Kansas City Star, 11 Apr. 2026
Every spring, the mosquitoes emerge from their winter dormancy to bite and breed.
—Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 9 Apr. 2026
Fueled by April showers, the grass and flowering weeds typically come out of dormancy and start their seasonal cycle.
—Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 8 Apr. 2026
As temperatures gradually warm and plants begin to bloom, the vernal equinox symbolizes the transition from winter's dormancy to the vibrant growth of spring.
—Vytas Reid, CBS News, 20 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dormancy
Markis Hill, Kansas City Star, 11 Apr. 2026
Every spring, the mosquitoes emerge from their winter dormancy to bite and breed.
—Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 9 Apr. 2026
Fueled by April showers, the grass and flowering weeds typically come out of dormancy and start their seasonal cycle.
—Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 8 Apr. 2026
As temperatures gradually warm and plants begin to bloom, the vernal equinox symbolizes the transition from winter's dormancy to the vibrant growth of spring.
—Vytas Reid, CBS News, 20 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dormancy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dormancy
Noun
-
Iran Air, the country's flagship carrier, reopened domestic routes after a 50-day suspension on Wednesday.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
24 Apr. 2026
-
The baseline suspension for first-time domestic violence offenders?—
Tyler Estep,
AJC.com,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The Cuban model isn’t working, and its allies—China, Russia, and the pragmatic wing of Latin American progressivism—seem to have grown tired of the government’s inertia.—
Carlos Manuel Alvarez,
Time,
24 Apr. 2026
-
In space, only inertia causes objects to move.—
Chelsea Gohd,
Space.com,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Harlin stages the shark attacks in an overt here-ya-go way, with the one consistent suspense issue being whether the shark will consume a victim whole or bite off his or her limb or simply leave them with a nasty gash (which happens quite often).—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
25 Apr. 2026
-
The many leaps in time to the wedding—to which Ruben shows up on a motorcycle, angry enough to knock his brother out with a single punch—consistently ratchet up the sense of dread, and the suspense over why or how these two have stayed enmeshed.—
Inkoo Kang,
New Yorker,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Under league guidelines, a player in the concussion protocol must have at least 48 hours of inactivity and recovery and then hit several benchmarks without symptoms before being cleared to play.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Currently, states can take custody of financial accounts after a set period of inactivity — often as short as three years — even if the owner is still alive and unaware their assets are at risk of being transferred.—
Richard Ramos,
CBS News,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
We cannot be cowed into quiescence.—
Brian Kolp,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Feb. 2026
-
This is a region of gravitational quiescence about a million miles from Earth, where ESCAPADE will linger for a year awaiting a more favorable alignment between Earth and Mars.—
Morgan McFall-Johnsen,
Scientific American,
13 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
In the crucial, early hours and days following the disaster, silence and inaction placed thousands at risk.—
Benjamin Mack-Jackson,
The Orlando Sentinel,
30 Apr. 2026
-
OpenAI’s inaction, the lawsuits allege, was a business decision spurred by the potential future liability that reporting troubling interactions like Van Rootselaar’s would invite, and how that liability could stand to impact the company’s ongoing momentum toward an IPO.—
Maggie Harrison Dupré,
Futurism,
29 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dormancy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dormancy. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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