stepped down; stepping down; steps down
: to withdraw from one's position or occupation : retire, resign
League commissioner Pete Rozelle … announced his intention to step down after 29 years on the job—his retirement becomes effective upon selection of a successor …—
Richard Demak and Jerry Kirshenbaum
Richard Demak and Jerry Kirshenbaum… the general would step down in exchange for immunity from prosecution.—Brian Duffy et al.
Brian Duffy et al.1
: to lower (a voltage) by means of a transformer
… voltages as high as two hundred and thirty thousand volts … which were carried by high-voltage power lines from generating plants, were being stepped down by large transformers to thirteen thousand volts …—Paul Brodeur
Paul Brodeur2
: to decrease or reduce (something) especially by one or more steps
As This Old House's plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey points out, the installer has to carefully step down the size of the ducts so there's even air pressure at all the room outlets.—Scott Gibson
Scott Gibson
variants
or step down
or less commonly stepdown
plural step-downs or step downs also stepdowns
: a decrease or reduction (as in size or amount) and especially one that is gradual or incremental
a dosage step-down
After several months of heavy investments, Amazon said it expects coronavirus-related costs to decelerate. … [Amazon CFO Brian] Olsavsky attributed the step down in Covid costs to a shift in volume.—Annie Palmer
Annie PalmerThat tax credit was scheduled to expire in 2019 but will now expire in 2025, with stepdowns toward the end of the program.—Alaska Dispatch News
Alaska Dispatch News1
electrical engineering
: serving to decrease voltage
a step-down transformer
2
medical
: providing or offering a reduced level of care or service
step-down drug rehab programs
specifically
: providing an intermediate level of care and monitoring especially for patients transitioning out of intensive care
a cardiac step-down unit
… a portable, mechanical driver that can power patients' artificial hearts and enable them to recover outside the hospital environment, including at home and at step-down facilities. —Anne Buckley
Anne Buckley 
Synonyms
Examples of step down in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the WebLorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 22 Sep. 2023
Williams stepped down for personal reasons and is not involved in any criminal legal action, his attorney said.
—Natalie Kainz, NBC News, 21 Sep. 2023
McMahon stepped down in July 2022 after the Journal exposé, and was succeeded by his daughter, longtime WWE executive Stephanie McMahon, and former CAA agent Nick Khan as co-CEOs.
—Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 20 Sep. 2023
Best Restaurants on Nevis Sunshine's Beach Bar & Grill
Located just steps down the beach from the Four Seasons Resort Nevis, Sunshine's Beach Bar & Grill is a favorite of residents and visitors alike with great food, cocktails, and a lively atmosphere.
—Lindsay Cohn, Travel + Leisure, 20 Sep. 2023
Rosenblatt stepped down from Foursquare five years ago to start working with startups alongside Rahn and Handler.
—Jessica Mathews, Fortune, 20 Sep. 2023
Brandenburg stepped down from FanX in 2018, and sold his share of the event in 2019.
—Palak Jayswal, The Salt Lake Tribune, 19 Sep. 2023
Barely a year later, in 2021, Daniel Lee stepped down as the Italian house’s creative director.
—Laura May Todd, New York Times, 18 Sep. 2023
Walker-Webb’s predecessor, Stephanie Ybarra, stepped down as artistic director in March.
—Mary Carole McCauley, Baltimore Sun, 18 Sep. 2023
Robert T. Garrett, Dallas News, 8 Sep. 2023
From there, glassy doors on each side of the foyer open to a step-down living room sporting a stylish fireplace and two sets of French doors flowing out to an al fresco dining and lounging terrace, and spacious formal dining room.
—Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 28 Aug. 2023
The project mined local boulders to create more natural step-down structures so fish, tubers and anglers can move freely up and down the stream.
—Leia Larsen, The Salt Lake Tribune, 28 Aug. 2023
From there, a step-down living room sports hardwood floors, a baronial fireplace, and French doors spilling out to a balcony overlooking an eye-catching pool and spa.
—Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 16 Aug. 2023
Inmates within the step-down program will be allowed access to TV, radio, commissary, and educational materials and services designed to help them with their rehabilitation.
—Alexa Gagosz, BostonGlobe.com, 20 July 2023
Four bedrooms, four and a half baths, a step-down library adjoining the living room.
—Kim Velsey, Curbed, 31 Jan. 2023
Generally, that means picking the trail that’s least steep, doesn’t feature any large step-downs, or consists of wide, curving switchbacks instead of precipitous slopes.
—Alisha McDarris, Popular Science, 29 June 2023
Even with the step-down S Class, TCL highlights the metal bezel-less design, which is available as far down as its 32-inch 720p S2 model.
—Chris Welch, The Verge, 15 May 2023
James Lacy, Verywell Health, 28 Mar. 2023
The primary bathroom also features a step-down shower with a view of the mountains.
—R. Daniel Foster, Forbes, 18 Feb. 2023
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Verb
Company Town Rupert Murdoch, the powerful and polarizing media mogul, steps down as chairman of Fox
Sept. 21, 2023
Murdoch launched the Fox network with the intention of competing with the Big Three television networks — ABC, CBS and NBC.
—Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 22 Sep. 2023
Williams stepped down for personal reasons and is not involved in any criminal legal action, his attorney said.
—Natalie Kainz, NBC News, 21 Sep. 2023
McMahon stepped down in July 2022 after the Journal exposé, and was succeeded by his daughter, longtime WWE executive Stephanie McMahon, and former CAA agent Nick Khan as co-CEOs.
—Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 20 Sep. 2023
Best Restaurants on Nevis Sunshine's Beach Bar & Grill
Located just steps down the beach from the Four Seasons Resort Nevis, Sunshine's Beach Bar & Grill is a favorite of residents and visitors alike with great food, cocktails, and a lively atmosphere.
—Lindsay Cohn, Travel + Leisure, 20 Sep. 2023
Rosenblatt stepped down from Foursquare five years ago to start working with startups alongside Rahn and Handler.
—Jessica Mathews, Fortune, 20 Sep. 2023
Brandenburg stepped down from FanX in 2018, and sold his share of the event in 2019.
—Palak Jayswal, The Salt Lake Tribune, 19 Sep. 2023
Barely a year later, in 2021, Daniel Lee stepped down as the Italian house’s creative director.
—Laura May Todd, New York Times, 18 Sep. 2023
Walker-Webb’s predecessor, Stephanie Ybarra, stepped down as artistic director in March.
—Mary Carole McCauley, Baltimore Sun, 18 Sep. 2023
Noun
The state helped launch four intensive psychiatric step-down programs, the first of their kind for foster youth in Texas.
—Robert T. Garrett, Dallas News, 8 Sep. 2023
From there, glassy doors on each side of the foyer open to a step-down living room sporting a stylish fireplace and two sets of French doors flowing out to an al fresco dining and lounging terrace, and spacious formal dining room.
—Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 28 Aug. 2023
The project mined local boulders to create more natural step-down structures so fish, tubers and anglers can move freely up and down the stream.
—Leia Larsen, The Salt Lake Tribune, 28 Aug. 2023
From there, a step-down living room sports hardwood floors, a baronial fireplace, and French doors spilling out to a balcony overlooking an eye-catching pool and spa.
—Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 16 Aug. 2023
Inmates within the step-down program will be allowed access to TV, radio, commissary, and educational materials and services designed to help them with their rehabilitation.
—Alexa Gagosz, BostonGlobe.com, 20 July 2023
Four bedrooms, four and a half baths, a step-down library adjoining the living room.
—Kim Velsey, Curbed, 31 Jan. 2023
Generally, that means picking the trail that’s least steep, doesn’t feature any large step-downs, or consists of wide, curving switchbacks instead of precipitous slopes.
—Alisha McDarris, Popular Science, 29 June 2023
Even with the step-down S Class, TCL highlights the metal bezel-less design, which is available as far down as its 32-inch 720p S2 model.
—Chris Welch, The Verge, 15 May 2023
Adjective
Some hospitals have a step-down unit, which provides an intermediate level of care that is less intense than the ICU while providing closer care than the regular unit.
—James Lacy, Verywell Health, 28 Mar. 2023
The primary bathroom also features a step-down shower with a view of the mountains.
—R. Daniel Foster, Forbes, 18 Feb. 2023
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'step down.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
Verb
1875, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense
Noun
1905, in the meaning defined above
Adjective
1881, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Articles Related to step down
Dictionary Entries Near step down
Cite this Entry
“Step down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/step%20down. Accessed 28 Sep. 2023.
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Kids Definition
step down
verb(ˈ)step-ˈdau̇n
1
: to lower the voltage of (a current) using a transformer
2
: to decrease or reduce especially by one or more steps
stepped down the volume
3
: resign sense 2, retire
will step down as chairman at the end of this year
step-down
adjective
-ˌdau̇n
Medical Definition
step-down
1 of 2 adjective
: providing or offering a reduced level of care or service
step-down drug rehab programs
specifically
: providing an intermediate level of care and monitoring especially for patients transitioning out of intensive care
Our group practice rotates us in 3-week stints through various critical and step-down units. —The Journal of the American Medical Association
The Journal of the American Medical Association step-down
2 of 2 noun
variants
or step down
: a decrease or reduction in size or amount
a dosage step-down
More from Merriam-Webster on step down
Nglish: Translation of step down for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of step down for Arabic Speakers
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