as in decelerations
a usually gradual decrease in the pace or level of activity of something
there are promising indications of a turnaround in the prolonged economic downshift
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Recent Examples of downshifts
But Sport mode was always selected soon after, which, besides adding rev-match downshifts and turning off auto stop/start, adds sharp exhaust tones to its deep-bass-induction soundtrack.
—
Peter Nelson, Robb Report, 1 Oct. 2025
Feel that lovely dog weight, dog density, as your dog settles and downshifts, grows heavy with unconsciousness, and makes the profound noises, the groans of contentment and secret multi-voweled suspirations, of a dog entering its sleep world.
—James Parker, The Atlantic, 16 Sep. 2025
Peter Nelson, Robb Report, 1 Oct. 2025
Feel that lovely dog weight, dog density, as your dog settles and downshifts, grows heavy with unconsciousness, and makes the profound noises, the groans of contentment and secret multi-voweled suspirations, of a dog entering its sleep world.
—James Parker, The Atlantic, 16 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for downshifts
Noun
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With birth rates declining and some Americans favoring trade school or going directly to the workforce after high school, universities are preparing for potentially catastrophic declines in enrollment in coming years.—
Suzanne Blake,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Oct. 2025
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The combination of a ballooning valuation and huge profit declines since the company’s heyday at the turn of the decade makes the Magic Premium a Halloween ghoul that’s haunting Wall Street.—
Shawn Tully,
Fortune,
23 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The ability to shop Hibbett’s assortment mix on the Uber Eats app went live on Thursday, ensuring that athletes, sneakerheads and fans can get the latest sneaker drops, running shoes and lifestyle sneakers on the Uber platform.—
Vicki M. Young,
Footwear News,
23 Oct. 2025
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Lower-earning majors beyond just communications saw drops, however.—
Suzanne Blake,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Price spikes in everyday goods can foreshadow broader slowdowns, as households pull back spending on non-essentials and retailers adjust inventories.—
Moná Thomas,
PEOPLE,
24 Oct. 2025
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Research from hurricane expert James Kossin and his colleagues have in fact pointed to global slowdowns in tropical cyclone forward speeds.—
Andrew Freedman,
CNN Money,
23 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Downshifts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/downshifts. Accessed 28 Oct. 2025.
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