variants
or step downs
also stepdowns
as in decreases
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-downs
Some of the incumbent step-downs were due to the pursuit of a new job; in other cases, fresh initiatives dictated change.
—
Vicki M. Young, Footwear News, 16 Feb. 2026
Men tend to age slowly with little step-downs, and women tend to have very sudden changes.
—Alexa Mikhail, Flow Space, 27 Jan. 2026
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
Vicki M. Young, Footwear News, 16 Feb. 2026
Men tend to age slowly with little step-downs, and women tend to have very sudden changes.
—Alexa Mikhail, Flow Space, 27 Jan. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for step-downs
Noun
-
The National Alliance to End Homelessness reports that cities relying on arrests and sweeps do not see long-term decreases in unsheltered homelessness because people are simply displaced into new areas rather than housed.—
Shianne LeClaire,
Hartford Courant,
17 May 2026
-
Lurie also pointed to crime figures that showed improvements across the board, with decreases in robbery with a firearm (45%), motor vehicle thefts (44%), property crime (27%), homicides (20%) and shootings (16%).—
Andrew J. Campa,
Los Angeles Times,
17 May 2026
Noun
-
All major bills passed, including a bailout for Hennepin County Medical Center, license tab reductions, a bonding bill and property tax relief.—
Esme Murphy,
CBS News,
18 May 2026
-
The Board of Trade, the ministry spokesperson said, would allow the two sides to discuss issues such as tariff reductions on specific products.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
18 May 2026
Noun
-
Silver plays two roles — as a store of value and a raw material for industry — which can mean bigger gains when the economy is growing but sharper drops during downturns.—
Sharon Wu,
USA Today,
14 May 2026
-
Add a few drops of mild detergent to warm water and blot the stain with a microfiber cloth rather than scrubbing it.—
Ryan Brennan,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
Further declines in home prices would deepen the hit to household balance sheets, said Lizzi Lee, a fellow at Center for China Analysis, noting that the property downturn has already inflicted significant job losses across construction and related sectors.—
Anniek Bao,Evelyn Cheng,
CNBC,
18 May 2026
-
This year might not be any different, with the pros looking for single-digit declines in both revenues and profits.—
Brett Owens,
Forbes.com,
17 May 2026
Noun
-
In 2024, for instance, NASA shared an image of the abuse one of Curiosity's wheels withstood on Mars, including dents and holes.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
12 May 2026
-
Avoid cans that have dents or lid damage, as this can increase the risk of bacteria that cause botulism (a form of food poisoning).—
Cristina Mutchler,
Verywell Health,
1 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Step-downs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/step-downs. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
