1
as in to leave
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 & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to resign
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 & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for step down (from)
Verb
-
What happens when a movement built on peace sets off a chain of events that leaves a region fluent only in the language of violence?—
Noo Saro-Wiwa,
The Dial,
24 Mar. 2026 -
Her aunt had resisted leaving the capital for two weeks, but was finally convinced to evacuate.—
Jason Rezaian,
New Yorker,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Some point fingers, others are resigned.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
23 Mar. 2026
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However, less than three weeks later, Jain resigned as co-CEO after losing investor confidence.—
Aslesha Mehta,
Fortune,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The United States has offered Iran a 15-point proposal for a ceasefire that includes it relinquishing control of the strait, but at the same time has ordered thousands more troops to the region — possibly in preparation for a military attempt to wrest the waterway from Iran.—
David Rising,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Bohm’s lawsuit demands at least $3 million in damages and that his parents relinquish control of the accounts.—
Steve Henson,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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When the state abdicates its duty, the people must step in.—
William Morris,
Des Moines Register,
17 Mar. 2026
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RadarOnline is reporting that the King is set to abdicate in favor of his son, Prince William.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Nearly 500 of the agency’s approximately 50,000 officers have quit since the partial shutdown started, the department said.—
John Raby,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Mar. 2026
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Multiple airports have been experiencing greater than 40% callout rates of TSA workers, and nearly 500 of the agency’s nearly 50,000 transportation security officers have quit during the shutdown.—
Kevin Freking,
Fortune,
28 Mar. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Step down (from).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/step%20down%20%28from%29. Accessed 29 Mar. 2026.
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