downshift

verb

down·​shift ˈdau̇n-ˌshift 

downshifted; downshifting; downshifts

intransitive verb

1

: to shift an automotive vehicle into a lower gear

2

: to move or shift to a lower level (as of speed, activity, or intensity)

downshift noun

Examples of downshift in a Sentence

You can downshift to slow the car down.

Recent Examples on the Web

The island can downshift into a period of dormancy for a short while, before ramping up again to deal with the eight bells that sound in the finale’s closing scene. — Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 17 June 2026

Pulsetto recommends runners use the vagus nerve stimulation device at specific points in their training and recovery cycle — not as an in-race tool, but as a way to downshift the nervous system around hard efforts. — Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 4 June 2026

This increases alertness, boosts available energy and temporarily downshifts nonessential functions like digestion. — Daryl Austin, USA Today, 30 May 2026

The pickup trucks may be affected by a loss of signal between the transmission range sensor and the powertrain control module, which automotive regulators said could cause the transmission to downshift into second gear without warning. — Ty Roush, Forbes.com, 17 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1944, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for downshift

• adrift
• airlift
• facelift
• festschrift
• forklift
• gearshift
• makeshift
• redshift
• sealift
• snowdrift
• spendthrift
• clift