STEP-DOWNS Synonyms: 46 Similar and Opposite Words

step-downs

noun

variants or step downs also stepdowns

plural of step-down

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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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of step-downs Slow step-downs Stand on the bottom step of a staircase, holding the rail. — Dana Santas, CNN Money, 20 Aug. 2026 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for step-downs

Noun

States with large rural populations that expanded Medicaid under the Obama-era Affordable Care Act are expected to see the largest decreases in Medicaid spending.

— Joey Garrison, USA Today, 24 Aug. 2026
Using birdwatching and policy data from more than 2,300 counties across China, a new analysis found that areas with stricter policies enforcing solar energy development have seen decreases in bird diversity over the last 10 years.

— Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of decreases

Noun

In northwest suburban Northlake, the average homeowner would save more than $2,000 on their annual tax bill — a difference of almost 30% — if local data centers did not receive valuation reductions and incentives, according to the analysis.

— Alex Nitkin, Chicago Tribune, 23 Aug. 2026
Historically, organizations have achieved dramatic cost reductions through outsourcing, labor arbitrage, and operating model redesign.

— Peter Bendor-Samuel, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of reductions

Noun

Nike has never before given the Air Max 2001 Air Ecstasy a retro release before, but leaks from earlier this summer indicate the shoe will get a wider revival through in-line drops.

— Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 24 Aug. 2026
At the same time, the drops have suspended pigments that melt into the skin rather than sitting on top of it, creating a more even skin tone with a natural, slightly luminous finish.

— Jenny Berg, Vogue, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of drops

Noun

In The Anxious Generation, Jonathan Haidt argues that overparenting and excessive screen time are driving declines in youth mental health.

— Sarah Hernholm, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2026
This summer, the school board approved plans to close or consolidate nine more campuses – the most ever in one year – as enrollment declines and ensuing financial pressures stretch the district thin.

— Austin Horn, Miami Herald, 22 Aug. 2026

Definition of declines

Noun

There was a closet full of phones people had thrown at the wall and dents in the drywall nobody ever explained.

— Jeff Rabhan, Rolling Stone, 14 Aug. 2026
Bruce’s densified dogwood flooring uses a natural hardening process with heat and pressure to improve resistance to dents and everyday wear.

— Better Homes & Gardens, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Aug. 2026