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
-
Maza, already a full Algeria international at 19, was scouted by several Premier League clubs before leaving second-tier Hertha Berlin.—
Sebastian Stafford-Bloor,
New York Times,
31 Oct. 2025 -
At the same time, leaving grass too long over the winter can shade the soil and weaken the grass.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
That torpedoing of club finances, alongside Messi handing in a transfer request in August 2020, ended with club president Josep Maria Bartomeu resigning before he was pushed in October that year.—
Chris Weatherspoon,
New York Times,
3 Nov. 2025
-
Lystrup ended up resigning as GSFC director on July 22.—
Josh Dinner,
Space.com,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The United States Military Academy graduate won just months after the previous winner, Noelia Voigt, shocked the world by relinquishing her crown, a bombshell action that was also taken by her younger counterpart, Miss Teen USA 2023.—
Alma Cooper,
PEOPLE,
24 Oct. 2025
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In Madagascar, Rajoelina has shown no signs of relinquishing power following his removal.—
Nimi Princewill,
CNN Money,
18 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Far from abdicating responsibility, these young adults were embracing it and moving, however slowly, into their future roles of caring for us.—
Don Riddell,
CNN Money,
18 Oct. 2025
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In June, the King spoke about the possibility of abdicating to make way for his daughter.—
Stephanie Petit,
PEOPLE,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Ariana Grande is opening up about nearly quitting music.—
Mitchell Peters,
Billboard,
25 Oct. 2025
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When infertility came for me, my response was to pursue pregnancy with an ever-narrowing focus, incrementally eliminating everything else in my life—quitting my job, slinking away from friendships, disappearing from the wider world.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
22 Oct. 2025
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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 5 Nov. 2025.
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