1
as in leaving
to give up (a job or office)
with the advent of his 90th birthday, he could no longer resist calls for him to step down from chairmanship of the board
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in resigning
to give up (as a position of authority) formally
even in the face of a palace revolt, Queen Elizabeth I refused to step down from the throne
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stepping down (from)
Verb
-
Limited backup power could knock out internet access, leaving millions to wait for instant answers.—
Jamie Yuccas,
CBS News,
10 Jan. 2026 -
Vatti said Diamantis made an $80,000 payment on the day after signing the retainer and made an additional six payments totalling $105,000 between August 2024 and February 2025, leaving the $65,000 balance.—
Edmund H. Mahony,
Hartford Courant,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Runcie ended up resigning in 2021, after a statewide grand jury indicted him on a perjury charge.—
Scott Travis,
Sun Sentinel,
5 Jan. 2026
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Instead of resigning yourself to this mess, this hanging toiletry bag is an excellent storage hack that will keep everything from hair products to skincare in one neat, easy-to-locate pouch.—
Merrell Readman,
Travel + Leisure,
3 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The Buffalo Bills lasted seven weeks in the pole position before relinquishing the title to the Kansas City Chiefs.—
Scott Phillips,
New York Times,
5 Jan. 2026
-
Hamas has shown no signs of relinquishing power or its weapons.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
30 Dec. 2025
Verb
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The United States, in other words, is not just abdicating its role in the current international system.—
ELIZABETH ECONOMY,
Foreign Affairs,
9 Dec. 2025
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After all, Perfidia explodes other archetypes, too—for instance, abdicating her roles as a mother and romantic partner to continue her work.—
Anna Holmes,
The Atlantic,
26 Nov. 2025
Verb
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At the same time, layoff activity remained low in November, along with the rate of people quitting their jobs.—
Alicia Wallace,
CNN Money,
8 Jan. 2026
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Those quitting Ozempic, Wegovy and other drugs regained weight four times faster than those using just diet and exercise, still key components in weight maintenance.—
Leo Sands,
Washington Post,
8 Jan. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Stepping down (from).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stepping%20down%20%28from%29. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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