verb / noun · neutral

plateau

UK/plæˈtəʊ/US/plæˈtoʊ/pla·TEAU

task1speaking

to reach a level at which there is little or no change after a period of increase or decline

Examples

After rapid growth, sales plateaued for two years.

Vaccination rates plateaued despite the campaign.

Production plateaued at around 5,000 units per month.

Band 8 sentence

After initial rapid expansion, the sector's growth rate plateaued, reflecting market saturation.

Collocations

  • plateau at
  • plateaued at

Word family

plateau verbplateau nounplateaued verb (past)

Common mistakes

The rate plateaued on 8%.The rate plateaued at 8%.

Sales plateau on 2019.Sales plateaued in 2019.

Say it for a higher band

5stay the same6level off7+plateau

Synonyms

level off

stabilize

Easily confused

level off

After two years of growth, production levels levelled off.

Related words

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In Peaks & troughs

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