as in reduction
the amount by which something is lessened
took a huge step-down in income when she switched from a law career to one in social work
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of step-down
Kerri Wilson is a registered nurse working on a medical cardiology step-down unit at Mission.
—
Lauren Giella, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Oct. 2025
In an update on Monday, the Fort Worth Fire Department said that Halvorson has been moved from the ICU to a step-down room in the burn unit at Parkland.
—Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Sep. 2025
Ketler spent four days in the intensive care unit and then another 10 in the step-down unit before he was transported to a rehab facility.
—Luke Chinman, People.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Recent Bureau of Labor Statistics revisions show a sharp slowdown in payroll growth in the second quarter of 2025, with the biggest step-downs in low-wage industries such as retail, wholesale, leisure, and hospitality.
—Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 13 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for step-down
Lauren Giella, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Oct. 2025
In an update on Monday, the Fort Worth Fire Department said that Halvorson has been moved from the ICU to a step-down room in the burn unit at Parkland.
—Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Sep. 2025
Ketler spent four days in the intensive care unit and then another 10 in the step-down unit before he was transported to a rehab facility.
—Luke Chinman, People.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Recent Bureau of Labor Statistics revisions show a sharp slowdown in payroll growth in the second quarter of 2025, with the biggest step-downs in low-wage industries such as retail, wholesale, leisure, and hospitality.
—Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 13 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for step-down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for step-down
Noun
-
Most executive conversations about AI focus on risk, regulation, or cost reduction.—
David Heacock,
Fortune,
8 Feb. 2026
-
Improvements like reduction in poverty and crime come when households are stable and not deprived of basic necessities.—
Mansoor Shams,
Baltimore Sun,
8 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Bass and her campaign team have sought to highlight a list of accomplishments, including a steady decrease in homicides, a drop in street homelessness and her efforts to accelerate the construction of affordable housing.—
David Zahniser,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Feb. 2026
-
This was a decrease from a 2023 assessment.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
But gold prices have been extraordinary volatile, smashing through record highs before posting their biggest single-day drop on record last month.—
John Towfighi,
CNN Money,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Sharp drops hit Wall Street on Thursday as technology stocks fell and bitcoin plunged again to roughly half its record price set last fall.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Axios ran these numbers, and calculated the decline in wages as a share of gross domestic income adding up to $12,000; as in, that’s how much less per year the average American is bringing home as a result of this dynamic.—
Jake Angelo,
Fortune,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Pacific Islander students and American Indian students were the only two student groups out of 11 total who saw a decline in this metric in the same period.—
Lina Ruiz,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Fill in any deeper scratches or dents with a wax wood repair kit to match.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
13 Feb. 2026
-
The tariffs helped put a dent in the pace of the budget deficit.—
Jeff Cox,
CNBC,
11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Step-down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/step-down. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
