step down from

1 to give up (a job or office) with the advent of his 90th birthday, he could no longer resist calls for him to step down from chairmanship of the board Synonyms bag, chuck, leave, resign (from), retire (from), step aside (from), quit (from)Related Words abandon, vacate; drop out (of), throw upNear Antonyms hire (out or on)Antonyms stay (at)

2 to give up (as a position of authority) formally even in the face of a palace revolt, Queen Elizabeth I refused to step down from the throne Synonyms abnegate, cede, relinquish, renounce, resign, step aside (from), abdicate (from), surrenderRelated Words abjure, demit, deny, disavow, disclaim, disown, waive; forsake, give up, hand over, yield; abandon, desert, quit, vacateNear Antonyms appropriate, arrogate, assume, claim, confiscate; seize, take over, usurp, wrest; defend, guard, protect, safeguard, secure