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
-
Late November through May is the dry season there, which means fewer rains to stir up the water—leaving it with some of the clearest visibility for snorkeling and diving all year.—
Annie Daly,
Vogue,
10 Mar. 2026 -
San Francisco put on the hardest of sells on to try to keep the talented linebacker — head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch flew to Texas to try to talk him out of leaving — but Greenlaw ultimately chose the Broncos.—
Parker Gabriel,
Denver Post,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Dotseth has been interim chief since 2024, when Chief Ernest Morales III was put on leave and then resigned from the department.—
Mara H. Gottfried,
Twin Cities,
9 Mar. 2026
-
The committee was founded by Tim Ozinga, R-Mokena, who was state representative in the 37th House District before abruptly resigning in April 2024.—
Olivia Stevens,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Our hope is that the Islamic Republic will relinquish power and transfer it to the people.—
Leila Fadel,
NPR,
5 Mar. 2026
-
China, historically the largest driver of the country’s overall trade deficit in goods, has relinquished its status in that regard.—
Kate Nishimura,
Sourcing Journal,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Responsibility cannot be lost; it can only be abdicated.—
Rich Harwood,
Twin Cities,
1 Mar. 2026
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That means 4 out of every 5 fellow citizens of our state abdicated their civic responsibility.—
Otis Moss III,
Chicago Tribune,
1 Mar. 2026
Verb
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During the news conference, Newey spoke of the struggles Honda had faced when rebuilding its engine project after temporarily quitting F1 in 2020, only to reverse its decision in early 2023 to link up with Aston Martin for 2026.—
Luke Smith,
New York Times,
6 Mar. 2026
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Her character, the beloved nurse Dana, threatened to quit after she was sucker-punched by a patient during her smoke break.—
Sam Reed,
Glamour,
6 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 10 Mar. 2026.
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