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
-
However, this group saw meaningful decreases as well, falling from 73% in 2021 to 61% in 2025.—
Ali Swenson,
Fortune,
20 June 2026
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The number of condos available dropped by nearly 9%, an improvement from the April year-over-year comparison, but marking the fourth consecutive month of decreases since July 2023.—
Alexandra Phelps,
Miami Herald,
18 June 2026
Noun
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This is because many people tolerate the early dose reductions fairly well but struggle more near the end of the taper because the brain becomes increasingly sensitive to serotonin changes at lower doses.—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
23 June 2026
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Support for older adults in poverty Benefits that many low-income older Americans rely on are facing substantial reductions.—
Naomi Cahn,
The Conversation,
22 June 2026
Noun
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Retailers face challenges from SNAP cuts and consumer fatigue, needing to demonstrate value as price drops will be delayed for months.—
Phil Lempert,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2026
-
Mix a few drops of mild dish soap into a bucket of warm water.—
Madeline Buiano,
Martha Stewart,
18 June 2026
Noun
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Numerous theories have been thrown around to try shedding light on the more recent declines among males.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
21 June 2026
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But those plans got shelved, first due to the recession and later due to countywide enrollment declines.—
Scott Travis,
Sun Sentinel,
20 June 2026
Noun
-
Watch for dents, broken springs, or light coming through, as these can strain parts and lead to bigger issues.—
Tessa Cooper,
The Spruce,
17 June 2026
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But several shots appear to hit with enough force to leave visible impact marks and dents in the wall.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
13 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Step-downs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/step-downs. Accessed 23 Jun. 2026.
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