step down

1 of 3

verb

stepped down; stepping down; steps down

intransitive verb

: 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
… the general would step down in exchange for immunity from prosecution.Brian Duffy et al.

transitive verb

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
2
: 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

step-down

2 of 3

noun

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
That 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

step-down

3 of 3

adjective

1
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

Examples of step down in a Sentence

Verb with the advent of his 90th birthday, he could no longer resist calls for him to step down from chairmanship of the board even in the face of a palace revolt, Queen Elizabeth I refused to step down from the throne Noun took a huge step-down in income when she switched from a law career to one in social work
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
The city’s police commissioner, Edward Caban, and a senior mayoral advisor, Timothy Pearson, have also stepped down. Michael R. Sisak and Jake Offenhartz, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2024 There were emotional scenes in the company’s King’s Cross HQ when, in a surprise move, David Joseph – Universal Music U.K.’s long-time and highly respected CEO/chairman – stepped down on September 23 after 26 years at the company, almost 17 of them in the top job. Mark Sutherland, Variety, 7 Oct. 2024
Noun
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
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 See all Example Sentences for step down 

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of step down was in 1875

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 16 Oct. 2024.

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
-ˌdau̇n
adjective

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

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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