1
as in deterioration
a change to a lower state or level
a singing career on the downgrade
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in downhill
a downward slope
the gentle downgrade of the parking area is designed for drainage
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to demote
to bring to a lower grade or rank
increased automation resulted in many jobs in the factory being downgraded
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to reduce
to diminish the price or value of
the company's filing for Chapter 11 downgraded the stock to the point where it was selling for pennies a share
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of downgrade
Jacob Robinson, New York Times, 16 Aug. 2025
Using debt to cover operating costs would likely trigger a credit downgrade, dropping CPS even further into junk bond territory.
—Joe Ferguson, Chicago Tribune, 12 Aug. 2025
Peter White, Deadline, 2 Sep. 2025
With ratings agencies such as Fitch downgrading ASDA’s debt profile, the scale of rollbacks may lessen by Christmas if sales don’t improve, as the firm may not want to risk further rating downgrades or liquidity strains.
—John Choong, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for downgrade
Verb
His move to Seattle brings an obvious downgrade at quarterback and additional competition for slot targets from Jaxon Smith-Njigba, the league’s most productive slot receiver last season.
—Jacob Robinson, New York Times, 16 Aug. 2025
Using debt to cover operating costs would likely trigger a credit downgrade, dropping CPS even further into junk bond territory.
—Joe Ferguson, Chicago Tribune, 12 Aug. 2025
Adverb
That deal, which has since been downgraded to a first-look arrangement, started off well with their Harry & Meghan documentary becoming Netflix’s biggest doc debut ever in December 2022.
—Peter White, Deadline, 2 Sep. 2025
With ratings agencies such as Fitch downgrading ASDA’s debt profile, the scale of rollbacks may lessen by Christmas if sales don’t improve, as the firm may not want to risk further rating downgrades or liquidity strains.
—John Choong, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for downgrade
Recent Examples of Synonyms for downgrade
Noun
-
Initial jobless claims indicate only a minimal pickup in layoffs and/or deterioration in labor conditions at present, a positive dynamic.—
Jeffrey Schulze,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
-
The largest member of the grass family, bamboo is combustible, susceptible to deterioration and weaker in rain, raising legitimate questions about its durability, Arup’s Ho said.—
Karina Tsui,
CNN Money,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Sanders took the approach of a speedy downhill runner compared to Jordan’s meandering style and also caught a short pass from Maiava and ran it in 74 yards for a touchdown and returned punts for USC in the second quarter.—
Haley Sawyer,
Oc Register,
31 Aug. 2025
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While Pakistan is widely known among mountaineers for peaks like K2, Nanga Parbat and Broad Peak, its relatively untapped ski terrain creates a rare opportunity for exclusive downhill experiences.—
Roger Sands,
Forbes.com,
11 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Jerome Ford is not a feature back and should be demoted once Judkins proves capable at pass protection and blitz pickups after missing all of training camp.—
Jason Lloyd,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
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Many coup backers are simply demoted or purged from the government without facing trial or execution.—
Joe Wright,
The Conversation,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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His team accused Whatley of distorting the facts to cover for his support of federal policies that reduced funding for local police.—
Samantha-Jo Roth,
The Washington Examiner,
11 Sep. 2025
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Valentino has been streamlining its wholesale channel, reduced by about 20 percent in 2024, a strategy that continued in 2025 and that is expected to impact its year-end performance.—
Luisa Zargani,
Footwear News,
10 Sep. 2025
Adverb
-
These events reveal just how vulnerable the sisters’ operations are, and mark the beginning of their slide downward.—
Isabella Wandermurem,
Time,
10 Sep. 2025
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Mortgage rates are already at their lowest point this year, and bond yields have trended downward as capital markets anticipate a more accommodative stance.—
Joseph Lustberg,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Chinese authorities said that headline CPI had slipped into negative territory largely due to the high-base last year and lower food prices, while crediting the narrower decline in producer prices in part to Beijing's efforts in regulating the excessive price competition.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
10 Sep. 2025
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Apple—which topped the World’s Best Companies list in 2024—is notably absent this year due to a decline in revenue from 2022 to 2024, which many Wall Street analysts have postulated could be due to the company falling behind on AI.—
Charlotte Hu,
Time,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Please remember that while property owners may jeer the recent price declines – if not question the math – long-suffering house hunters see these dips as a glimmer of hope.—
Jonathan Lansner,
Oc Register,
10 Sep. 2025
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When sentiment sours, speculative stocks don’t just dip—they get hammered.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
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That prospect creates tremendous angst among activists who worry about the degradation of storage canisters over time.—
Teri Sforza,
Oc Register,
5 Sep. 2025
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The research shows that the batteries generate heat under high-load conditions to counteract performance degradation, a finding intended to create more resilient energy storage systems.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Downgrade.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/downgrade. Accessed 12 Sep. 2025.
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