downshift
verb
down·shift
ˈdau̇n-ˌshift 
downshifted; downshifting; downshifts
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
This quiet settling phase allows the nervous system to downshift and reinforces feelings of safety and connection.
—
Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Growth had been expected to downshift no matter who won the 2024 election as a post-COVID-19 surge in consumer demand petered out, Americans depleted government pandemic aid and other government stimulus measures faded.
—Paul Davidson, USA Today, 16 Aug. 2025
As such, the universal logistical and financial burden of childcare falls on individual parents, with the lower-earning partner, often the mother, more likely to downshift their career to accommodate their family’s needs, thereby all but guaranteeing a lifetime of financial disparity.
—Katie Gatti Tassin, Time, 10 June 2025
Household income growth is slowing and likely to downshift further the next few years, posing risks for consumer spending and the broader economy, forecasters say.
—Paul Davidson, USA TODAY, 25 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for downshift
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Growth had been expected to downshift no matter who won the 2024 election as a post-COVID-19 surge in consumer demand petered out, Americans depleted government pandemic aid and other government stimulus measures faded.
—Paul Davidson, USA Today, 16 Aug. 2025
As such, the universal logistical and financial burden of childcare falls on individual parents, with the lower-earning partner, often the mother, more likely to downshift their career to accommodate their family’s needs, thereby all but guaranteeing a lifetime of financial disparity.
—Katie Gatti Tassin, Time, 10 June 2025
Household income growth is slowing and likely to downshift further the next few years, posing risks for consumer spending and the broader economy, forecasters say.
—Paul Davidson, USA TODAY, 25 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for downshift
Cite this Entry
“Downshift.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/downshift. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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