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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Example Sentences
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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
-
Because people notice price increases more often than price decreases.—
Hemant K. Bhargava,
Boston Herald,
23 May 2026
-
The energy burned from exercise decreases after around 10% weight loss.—
Kim Pfotenhauer,
The Conversation,
22 May 2026
Noun
-
However, greater reductions are needed to slow climate change, which would require developing additional, more effective strategies.—
Hanqin Tian,
Fortune,
25 May 2026
-
Residents can expect winds to be west-southwest 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 45 mph and humidity rH reductions to 10-20% this afternoon.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
25 May 2026
Noun
-
Silver plays two roles — as a store of value and a raw material for industry — which can mean bigger gains when the economy is growing but sharper drops during downturns.—
Sharon Wu,
USA Today,
14 May 2026
-
Add a few drops of mild detergent to warm water and blot the stain with a microfiber cloth rather than scrubbing it.—
Ryan Brennan,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 May 2026
Noun
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Oil prices, however, remained volatile, resuming their rally after three straight sessions of declines as investors weighed mixed messaging on Iran peace deal negotiations.—
Dylan Butts,
CNBC,
22 May 2026
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Schools that derive the lion’s share of their revenue from tuition are more vulnerable to enrollment declines and price competition.—
Matt Schifrin,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2026
Noun
-
From there, observe any dents, soft spots or cracks.—
Alexandra Frost,
USA Today,
25 May 2026
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Hail damage can be subtle — granule loss and small dents that shorten a roof’s life without obvious leaks.—
Ryan Brennan
May 15,
Charlotte Observer,
15 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Step-downs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/step-downs. Accessed 28 May. 2026.
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