STEPPING DOWN Synonyms: 18 Similar and Opposite Words

stepping down

noun

as in retirement

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Recent Examples of Synonyms for stepping down

Noun

Verlander, who is currently in his second stint with the Tigers, was the oldest player in the majors prior to his retirement on Saturday.

— Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 27 Sep. 2026
Kahn’s heirs unloaded the place in 1939, a few years after his death, and it was chopped up over the years to serve as retirement housing for city workers, a military training compound, and a boarding school, per Forbes.

— Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 25 Sep. 2026

Definition of retirement

Noun

By Tuesday night, more than 800 people had signed it, according to the petition, with 26 leaving comments.

— Verónica Egui Brito, Miami Herald, 22 Sep. 2026
Officers responded to a call about shots fired a few blocks away from Beale Street and saw a person armed with a gun leaving, said Memphis police.

— ABC News, ABC News, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of leaving

Noun

Kronberg said the aircraft landed safely but became disabled at the end of the runway, preventing other flights from arriving and departing.

— Sally Krutzig, Idaho Statesman, 17 Sep. 2026
There has been considerable upheaval at City this summer, with Maresca replacing Guardiola and influential players like John Stones, Bernardo Silva and Rodri departing, too.

— Sam Lee, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of departing

Noun

Tasha Williamson, a longtime San Diego activist fighting for police accountability and reform, said Stephan’s ruling in the Gold case represents a concerning abdication of justice.

— Jeff McDonald, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Sep. 2026
Agnatic primogeniture, directly inherited from the Salic Law, stipulates that in the event of death or abdication, the sovereign’s closest male relative is called upon to ascend the throne.

— Séraphine Roger, Vanity Fair, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of abdication

Noun

Entering and exiting was seamless and discreet, like staying in an Airbnb.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Sep. 2026
Let passengers exit the train before boarding This rule isn’t unique to Japan, but blocking the door or pushing against the exiting crowd is considered extremely impolite.

— Rebecca Ann Hughes, Forbes.com, 18 June 2026

Definition of exiting

Noun

Employee retention data shows that resignations this summer among state workers are at their lowest in the last four, even with the mandate taking effect July 1.

— Corey Schmidt, Sacbee.com, 30 Sep. 2026
Bednar was hired in August 2016 following the resignation of coach Patrick Roy.

— ABC News, ABC News, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of resignation

Noun

Abbott’s hangdog monotonousness as one of the men who can’t recognize what Cathy is leaves East of Eden imbalanced.

— Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 1 Oct. 2026
One breakthrough leading into that period of acclaim was Ferrer’s 1968 guerrilla action involving driving 87 bushels of fall leaves from Philadelphia to New York in a pickup truck, and scattering them in front of art institutions.

— Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of leave

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.

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“Stepping down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stepping%20down. Accessed 2 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of stepping down

noun

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