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
Synonyms
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
Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 12 June 2024
Moody's said in its credit downgrade report that those types of buildings are facing challenges from higher interest expenses when refinancing and higher maintenance costs as a result of inflation.
—Jc Reindl, Detroit Free Press, 11 June 2024
Eva Roytburg, Fortune Europe, 10 June 2024
Luka’s just fine, but not enough There was some panic about the status of Doncic leading up to the game as the superstar was downgraded to questionable before tip-off.
—Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for downgrade 
Noun
The downgrade in their outlook for rate cuts would mean that such borrowing costs would likely stay higher for longer.
—Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 12 June 2024
Moody's said in its credit downgrade report that those types of buildings are facing challenges from higher interest expenses when refinancing and higher maintenance costs as a result of inflation.
—Jc Reindl, Detroit Free Press, 11 June 2024
Verb
In a sign of how directions have shifted, France was downgraded by S&P Global Ratings last month.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune Europe, 10 June 2024
Luka’s just fine, but not enough There was some panic about the status of Doncic leading up to the game as the superstar was downgraded to questionable before tip-off.
—Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for downgrade
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'downgrade.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near downgrade
Cite this Entry
“Downgrade.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/downgrade. Accessed 27 Jun. 2024.
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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