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
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Recent Examples of step-down
Men tend to age slowly with little step-downs, and women tend to have very sudden changes.
—
Alexa Mikhail, Flow Space, 27 Jan. 2026
So when people are already experiencing this type of knee pain, doing quad-dominant exercises—like a forward lunge, step-down, or squat—can place even more stress on the knee and exacerbate symptoms.
—Jenny McCoy, Outside, 24 Dec. 2025
Some lenders use a step-down structure, such as 2% in the first year and 1% in the second.
—Mike Winters, CNBC, 11 Dec. 2025
Kerri Wilson is a registered nurse working on a medical cardiology step-down unit at Mission.
—Lauren Giella, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for step-down
Alexa Mikhail, Flow Space, 27 Jan. 2026
So when people are already experiencing this type of knee pain, doing quad-dominant exercises—like a forward lunge, step-down, or squat—can place even more stress on the knee and exacerbate symptoms.
—Jenny McCoy, Outside, 24 Dec. 2025
Some lenders use a step-down structure, such as 2% in the first year and 1% in the second.
—Mike Winters, CNBC, 11 Dec. 2025
Kerri Wilson is a registered nurse working on a medical cardiology step-down unit at Mission.
—Lauren Giella, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for step-down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for step-down
Noun
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This is a crisis that cannot be ignored, especially with school-age children now in summer vacation, which means even further reductions in access to healthy foods.—
Michael Farver,
Sun Sentinel,
14 June 2026
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Because these specific phases normally represent one-quarter of total cell manufacturing expenditures, their reduction alters the overall processing economics.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
13 June 2026
Noun
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Even when those withdrawals are planned, seeing balances decrease can feel unsettling.—
Andrew Rosen,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2026
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There are contact tracing efforts in place, but Congo reported a decrease in reporting coverage last week due to the expansion of the outbreak into new areas, and to community resistance.—
Evie Carrick,
Travel + Leisure,
18 June 2026
Noun
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Mix one drop of castile soap with 16 ounces of warm water in a spray bottle.—
Madeline Buiano,
Martha Stewart,
18 June 2026
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Retailers face challenges from SNAP cuts and consumer fatigue, needing to demonstrate value as price drops will be delayed for months.—
Phil Lempert,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2026
Noun
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The findings indicate that bird-watching and similar hobbies may support overall brain health, though researchers stop short of saying the activity definitively halts cognitive decline.—
Hanna Wickes,
Kansas City Star,
18 June 2026
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Earlier this year, a judge ordered the Bureau of Land Management to close roughly 2,000 miles of off highway vehicle trails in the western Mojave to reduce ongoing harm to the endangered desert tortoise, a keystone species of the local ecosystem whose numbers are in steep decline.—
Alex Wigglesworth,
Los Angeles Times,
18 June 2026
Noun
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Sanders likely doesn’t expect his legislation to resolve the biggest questions the public has about AI or even put a dent in anti-AI sentiment.—
Ashley Belanger,
ArsTechnica,
18 June 2026
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Watch for dents, broken springs, or light coming through, as these can strain parts and lead to bigger issues.—
Tessa Cooper,
The Spruce,
17 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Step-down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/step-down. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.
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