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
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With the high court passing on the city’s request, that leaves in place a ruling that the city violated state law and needs to update its housing plan and zone for at least 13,368 new homes this decade, including affordable options.—
Claire Wang,
Oc Register,
24 Feb. 2026 -
Air vibrates the tissues in the voice box while an area just above contracts, leaving a small opening for the whistle to escape.—
Adithi Ramakrishnan,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Peter Attia resigns from CBS News Celebrity doctor Peter Attia has resigned from his new contributor position at CBS News following revelations about his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.—
Alexandra Banner,
CNN Money,
24 Feb. 2026
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The fans never got an opportunity to give a grateful goodbye, Pat Riley resigning on an early summer afternoon 36 years ago after the end of a lost season.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Feb. 2026
Verb
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McDuffie is highly unlikely to generate the same return that, say, cornerback Sauce Gardner did just three months ago — the Colts relinquished two first-round picks and wide receiver Adonai Mitchell to the New York Jets in exchange for Gardner.—
Sam McDowell
February 20,
Kansas City Star,
20 Feb. 2026
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Riley was the head coach and team president for the Heat’s first NBA championship in 2006 before relinquishing those duties to Spoelstra in 2008.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Commentators have compared the pressures facing the House of Windsor to 1936, when King Edward VIII abdicated the throne to marry the American divorcee Wallis Simpson.—
Danica Kirka,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Feb. 2026
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Commentators have compared the pressures facing the House of Windsor to 1936, when King Edward VIII abdicated the thrown to marry the American divorcee Wallis Simpson.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
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In one of the most improbable comebacks in the history of figure skating, Alysa Liu of the United States, who quit the sport after the 2022 Beijing Olympics, reclaimed her career on her own joyous terms and won the gold medal in the women’s competition on Thursday at the Milan-Cortina Games.—
Bora Erden,
New York Times,
20 Feb. 2026
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For those trips where winter refuses to quit, this cozy knit set is the answer.—
Chaise Sanders,
Travel + Leisure,
20 Feb. 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 26 Feb. 2026.
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