down·grade
ˈdau̇n-ˌgrād 
1
: a downward grade (as of a road)
2
: a descent toward an inferior state
a career on the downgrade
downgraded; downgrading; downgrades
Examples of downgrade in a Sentence
Noun
a downgrade in the company's stock prices
a singing career on the downgrade
Verb
The restaurant was downgraded from three to two stars.
She didn't intend to downgrade the importance of her colleague's work.
Recent Examples on the Web
Hugh Leask, CNBC, 17 June 2026
The remote that is included, the Alexa Voice Remote Enhanced, lacks the Pro’s backlit buttons and remote finder feature, but is otherwise identical and isn’t a significant downgrade.
—Will Greenwald, PC Magazine, 16 June 2026
Caitlin Danaher, CNN Money, 20 June 2026
With regards to the baseball cards, Smith has pled guilty to one count of retail theft, downgraded from a felony to a summary offense, and has paid a $201 fine.
—Andy Sheehan, CBS News, 19 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for downgrade
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Noun
That's a 700,000-barrel-per-day downgrade from last month's estimate, after deliveries plunged by 5 million barrels per day in the second quarter, the IEA said.
—Hugh Leask, CNBC, 17 June 2026
The remote that is included, the Alexa Voice Remote Enhanced, lacks the Pro’s backlit buttons and remote finder feature, but is otherwise identical and isn’t a significant downgrade.
—Will Greenwald, PC Magazine, 16 June 2026
Verb
The maritime security threat level in the Strait of Hormuz was downgraded to ‘moderate’ by the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) on Thursday.
—Caitlin Danaher, CNN Money, 20 June 2026
With regards to the baseball cards, Smith has pled guilty to one count of retail theft, downgraded from a felony to a summary offense, and has paid a $201 fine.
—Andy Sheehan, CBS News, 19 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for downgrade
Cite this Entry
“Downgrade.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/downgrade. Accessed 22 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
downgrade
1 of 2 noun
down·grade
-ˌgrād
1
: a downward slope
2
: a lowering toward a worse condition
a neighborhood on the downgrade
downgrade
adverb
downgrade
2 of 2 verb
: to lower in grade, rank, or standing
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