1
as in reducing
to bring to a lower grade or rank
increased automation resulted in many jobs in the factory being downgraded
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in lowering
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
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Recent Examples of downgrading
Fitch Ratings has given Chicago a BBB+ overall, while downgrading sales tax securitization from AAA to AA+.
—
Adam Harrington, CBS News, 26 Feb. 2026
Nakai, too, squandered roughly six points for downgrading a planned triple lutz-triple toe loop combination.
—Bora Erden, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2026
The United States Department of State updated its travel advisory for the country of Pakistan this week, warning of potential crime there but also downgrading its warning for the border area between Pakistan and India.
—Michael Cappetta, Travel + Leisure, 29 Jan. 2026
Netflix is still in business with Markle and her husband, Prince Harry, downgrading the pair’s deal to a first-look arrangement in August.
—Peter White, Deadline, 20 Jan. 2026
So what is the government’s rationale for downgrading the recommendation for the rotavirus vaccine?
—Ben Lopman, STAT, 17 Jan. 2026
The comments could indicate that the administration is downgrading its efforts for broad changes to the card industry that would be difficult to enact and that could hit consumer spending and the economy.
—Hugh Son, CNBC, 16 Jan. 2026
Those trends might suggest drivers are downgrading to bare-minimum liability insurance.
—Lyssanoel Frater, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025
The administration has withheld routine forms of assistance from Taiwan—including by downgrading a defense dialogue with the island, denying Taiwanese President William Lai the ability to briefly visit the United States while traveling elsewhere, and blocking a major arms sales package.
—Mira Rapp-Hooper, Foreign Affairs, 29 Oct. 2025
Adam Harrington, CBS News, 26 Feb. 2026
Nakai, too, squandered roughly six points for downgrading a planned triple lutz-triple toe loop combination.
—Bora Erden, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2026
The United States Department of State updated its travel advisory for the country of Pakistan this week, warning of potential crime there but also downgrading its warning for the border area between Pakistan and India.
—Michael Cappetta, Travel + Leisure, 29 Jan. 2026
Netflix is still in business with Markle and her husband, Prince Harry, downgrading the pair’s deal to a first-look arrangement in August.
—Peter White, Deadline, 20 Jan. 2026
So what is the government’s rationale for downgrading the recommendation for the rotavirus vaccine?
—Ben Lopman, STAT, 17 Jan. 2026
The comments could indicate that the administration is downgrading its efforts for broad changes to the card industry that would be difficult to enact and that could hit consumer spending and the economy.
—Hugh Son, CNBC, 16 Jan. 2026
Those trends might suggest drivers are downgrading to bare-minimum liability insurance.
—Lyssanoel Frater, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025
The administration has withheld routine forms of assistance from Taiwan—including by downgrading a defense dialogue with the island, denying Taiwanese President William Lai the ability to briefly visit the United States while traveling elsewhere, and blocking a major arms sales package.
—Mira Rapp-Hooper, Foreign Affairs, 29 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for downgrading
Verb
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Many gardeners embrace biodiversity in turf areas to support pollinators, birds, and other wildlife while reducing the inputs needed for lawn maintenance.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
7 Mar. 2026
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That means potentially shutting down or reducing ice time for some of its biggest stars who are playing through nagging injuries.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Evidence suggests that taking statins, a cholesterol-lowering medication, could lower the risk of DME by reducing inflammation and preserving the function of blood vessels in the eye.—
Zia Sherrell,
Health,
5 Mar. 2026
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Higher consumer prices could discourage the Federal Reserve from lowering its benchmark interest rate, or even spur it to raise rates.—
Mary Cunningham,
CBS News,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In late January, the president put border czar Tom Homan in charge of the crackdown, effectively demoting the Border Patrol’s Greg Bovino.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
6 Mar. 2026
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Once Watson and Gordon are both back, Watson will probably be coming off the bench for the first time since mid-November, unless Adelman wants to make a more dramatic change by demoting someone from his starting lineup.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
2 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Downgrading.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/downgrading. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
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