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
While those areas are now seeing a step-down in prices, prices in the Middle Atlantic states, which includes Pennsylvania as well as New Jersey and New York, rose 3.4% last month — a full percentage point higher than the national rate, government data shows.
—
Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 30 Oct. 2024
The Oasis has 1GB of RAM compared with the 500MB of the step-down models, which makes this device a tad zippier (CNET).
—David Pierce, WIRED, 5 May 2016
The home has a step-down family room with rustic wood beams and paneling, brick wall, and woodstove; an eat-in kitchen; and a separate dining room.
—The Week Staff, theweek, 3 Sep. 2024
The manslaughter conviction is a step-down from the second-degree murder charge originally issued against Benefield after the death of her husband in 2020.
—Timothy H.j. Nerozzi Fox News, Fox News, 31 July 2024
See All Example Sentences for step-down
Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 30 Oct. 2024
The Oasis has 1GB of RAM compared with the 500MB of the step-down models, which makes this device a tad zippier (CNET).
—David Pierce, WIRED, 5 May 2016
The home has a step-down family room with rustic wood beams and paneling, brick wall, and woodstove; an eat-in kitchen; and a separate dining room.
—The Week Staff, theweek, 3 Sep. 2024
The manslaughter conviction is a step-down from the second-degree murder charge originally issued against Benefield after the death of her husband in 2020.
—Timothy H.j. Nerozzi Fox News, Fox News, 31 July 2024
See All Example Sentences for step-down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for step-down
Noun
-
The staff reductions are the first step in shutting down the 46-year-old agency, McMahon has said.—
Nicquel Terry Ellis,
CNN,
22 Mar. 2025
-
All of those staffers were laid off in the recent federal workforce reductions.—
Kayla Jimenez,
USA TODAY,
22 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
The most dramatic decrease was among those aged 15 to 24, where the divorce rate dropped from 47.2 per 1,000 to 19.7 per 1,000.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
21 Mar. 2025
-
That’s an 80% decrease from 2003 when there were 7,465 robberies.—
Michael Loria,
USA TODAY,
21 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
The Chargers looked past Quentin Johnston’s 13 career drops at TCU and took him in the first round.—
Daniel Popper,
New York Times,
26 Mar. 2025
-
That could be in the range of the biggest drop in sales in the company’s history, nearly twice the drop during the early months of the pandemic, when factories and showrooms were closed due to stay-at-home orders.—
Chris Isidore,
CNN Money,
26 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Print stayed mostly flat at $3.04 billion, with a 1% gain in ad revenue but a 1% decline in subscriptions.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
27 Mar. 2025
-
The bolívar has lost 50% of its value since the days leading up to Donald Trump’s presidential inauguration, with a significant portion of that decline occurring this week after the U.S. administration announced a 25% tariff on countries purchasing Venezuelan oil and gas products.—
Antonio Maria Delgado,
Miami Herald,
27 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Then the pandemic sparked a moving frenzy, putting a serious dent in that number.—
Samantha Latson,
New York Times,
27 Mar. 2025
-
If 200,000 Gold Cards are sold at $5 million each, the resulting $1 trillion could make a meaningful dent in the national debt.—
Doug Melville,
Forbes.com,
26 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Step-down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/step-down. Accessed 5 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share