ups and downs

plural noun

|Updated on: 24 Jul 2018

Definition of ups and downs

: alternating rise and fall especially in fortune

Recent Examples of ups and downs from the Web

The tagging followed several sightings up and down the coastline this month, from Nauset Beach to Provincetown.

— steve annear, BostonGlobe.com, "Drone video shows shark eating seal off Cape Cod beach," 13 July 2018
Within the human body, up and down are forever engaged in a dance to the middle.

— clifton leaf, Fortune, "Brainstorm Health: Ties in Biology, Trump-Pfizer Takeaways, Obamacare Navigator Cuts," 11 July 2018
The trend is paying dividends up and down the league.

— patrick brennan, Cincinnati.com, "Why FC Cincinnati will target South, Central America for building MLS roster," 10 July 2018
There were special moments, lots of ups and downs, great memories.

— clark spencer, miamiherald, "This ex-Marlin went from the basement to the penthouse in six months time," 9 July 2018
Out of Control' Salmon anglers up and down the West Coast closely are watching the bill's progress.

— ryan sabalow, sacbee, "To protect salmon in the Columbia, will we have to kill more sea lions?," 6 July 2018
The bike features 5 inches of bob-free suspension travel, meaning the bike won’t bounce up and down with the force of the pedaling.

— roy m. wallack, latimes.com, "Summer is calling: Fitness gear to get you outdoors – and moving," 5 July 2018
Several hundred residents in the north Houston neighborhood braved the rough weather to witness the annual procession up and down Irvington Boulevard.

— zach despart, Houston Chronicle, "Undaunted by downpours, Lindale Park holds July 4 parade," 4 July 2018
In addition to its most well-known product, its cars, Tesla also has separate energy divisions that have had their share of ups and downs.

— david grossman, Popular Mechanics, "Tesla Is Revving Up to Build the World's Largest Battery Farm in California," 2 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ups and downs.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.