variants
or step downs
also stepdowns
as in decreases
the amount by which something is lessened
took a huge step-down in income when she switched from a law career to one in social work
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Recent Examples of step-downs
Some of the incumbent step-downs were due to the pursuit of a new job; in other cases, fresh initiatives dictated change.
—
Vicki M. Young, Footwear News, 16 Feb. 2026
Men tend to age slowly with little step-downs, and women tend to have very sudden changes.
—Alexa Mikhail, Flow Space, 27 Jan. 2026
Recent Bureau of Labor Statistics revisions show a sharp slowdown in payroll growth in the second quarter of 2025, with the biggest step-downs in low-wage industries such as retail, wholesale, leisure, and hospitality.
—Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 13 Aug. 2025
Vicki M. Young, Footwear News, 16 Feb. 2026
Men tend to age slowly with little step-downs, and women tend to have very sudden changes.
—Alexa Mikhail, Flow Space, 27 Jan. 2026
Recent Bureau of Labor Statistics revisions show a sharp slowdown in payroll growth in the second quarter of 2025, with the biggest step-downs in low-wage industries such as retail, wholesale, leisure, and hospitality.
—Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 13 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for step-downs
Noun
-
At the elementary level, the largest decreases came in the time devoted to social studies, which within a few years dropped by a third, or 76 minutes each week.—
Yoni Appelbaum,
The Atlantic,
8 June 2026
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The devices detected increases in brain waves linked to relaxation and focus – theta, theta-alpha, alpha and beta-1 brain waves – while measuring decreases in delta and gamma-1 brain waves, which suggest less drowsiness and less mind-wandering.—
Jacqueline Howard,
CNN Money,
7 June 2026
Noun
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Since 2022, the company has delivered more than $5bn in structural cost reductions while maintaining a strong balance sheet and generating significant cash flow.—
Sam Birchall,
Fortune,
8 June 2026
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Elevated inflation and a hot jobs report last week has pushed back expectations of any further reductions happening this year.—
Michelle Fox,
CNBC,
8 June 2026
Noun
-
The latter is no small feat because supersonic speed dramatically changes the aerodynamics of an aircraft, making missile launches or bomb drops extremely difficult, to put it mildly.—
David Szondy
June 04,
New Atlas,
4 June 2026
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Some rate drops are slowing, including the nights of four of seven matches at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
3 June 2026
Noun
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Such declines are evident, in part, through a sharp decrease in developers taking out building permits from City Hall for new construction, per the report.—
Gayla Cawley,
Boston Herald,
7 June 2026
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Housewares, clothing, footwear and sports equipment had the biggest declines, anywhere from 5% to 7%.—
Anne D'Innocenzio,
Fortune,
7 June 2026
Noun
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In addition to the two smaller punctures, there were also dents and creases.—
Jesse Zanger,
CBS News,
4 June 2026
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Ideal for dressers, doors, desks, and even hardwood floors, the kit includes six markers for surface-level touchups in shades like cherry, walnut, and mahogany, plus six wax sticks to fill deeper dents and gouges.—
Mariana Best,
Better Homes & Gardens,
29 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Step-downs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/step-downs. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
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