stepped down; stepping down; steps down
: to withdraw from one's position or occupation : retire, resign
League commissioner Pete Rozelle … announced his intention to step down after 29 years on the job—his retirement becomes effective upon selection of a successor …—
Richard Demak and Jerry Kirshenbaum
Richard Demak and Jerry Kirshenbaum… the general would step down in exchange for immunity from prosecution.—Brian Duffy et al.
Brian Duffy et al.1
: to lower (a voltage) by means of a transformer
… voltages as high as two hundred and thirty thousand volts … which were carried by high-voltage power lines from generating plants, were being stepped down by large transformers to thirteen thousand volts …—Paul Brodeur
Paul Brodeur2
: to decrease or reduce (something) especially by one or more steps
As This Old House's plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey points out, the installer has to carefully step down the size of the ducts so there's even air pressure at all the room outlets.—Scott Gibson
Scott Gibson
variants
or step down
or less commonly stepdown
plural step-downs or step downs also stepdowns
: a decrease or reduction (as in size or amount) and especially one that is gradual or incremental
a dosage step-down
After several months of heavy investments, Amazon said it expects coronavirus-related costs to decelerate. … [Amazon CFO Brian] Olsavsky attributed the step down in Covid costs to a shift in volume.—Annie Palmer
Annie PalmerThat tax credit was scheduled to expire in 2019 but will now expire in 2025, with stepdowns toward the end of the program.—Alaska Dispatch News
Alaska Dispatch News1
electrical engineering
: serving to decrease voltage
a step-down transformer
2
medical
: providing or offering a reduced level of care or service
step-down drug rehab programs
specifically
: providing an intermediate level of care and monitoring especially for patients transitioning out of intensive care
a cardiac step-down unit
… a portable, mechanical driver that can power patients' artificial hearts and enable them to recover outside the hospital environment, including at home and at step-down facilities. —Anne Buckley
Anne Buckley Synonyms
Examples of step down in a Sentence
Verb
with the advent of his 90th birthday, he could no longer resist calls for him to step down from chairmanship of the board
even in the face of a palace revolt, Queen Elizabeth I refused to step down from the throne
Noun
took a huge step-down in income when she switched from a law career to one in social work
Recent Examples on the WebJaweed Kaleem, Los Angeles Times, 23 May 2024
Two Senate Republican heavyweights, Minority Whip John Thune and former Minority Whip John Cornyn, are already running to succeed McConnell, who’s expected to step down from his post this year.
—Max Greenwood, Miami Herald, 22 May 2024
Renee Baumgartner is stepping down as Santa Clara University’s director of athletics effective June 30, the school announced on Tuesday afternoon.
—Laurence Miedema, The Mercury News, 21 May 2024
Continuing this tradition, two Minnesota justices this year are stepping down – one voluntarily, the other due to mandatory retirement.
—Bryna Godar, The Conversation, 21 May 2024
The appointment comes after Kyung offered to step down from his post, according to a person familiar with the matter, who asked not to be named discussing private information.
—Yoolim Lee, Fortune Asia, 21 May 2024
Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Republican leader who swept aside concerns about his health after experiencing two freezes on camera last year, plans to step down from leadership at the end of this year.
—Kayla Guo, New York Times, 17 May 2024
Voigt and Srivastava abruptly stepped down within a few days of each other.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 14 May 2024
Tom Brady roast on Netflix: 12 best burns* of NFL legend, Bill Belichick and Patriots All 9 Drake and Kendrick Lamar 2024 diss songs, including 'Not Like Us' and 'Part 6' Miss USA Noelia Voigt makes 'tough decision' to step down.
—Natalie Neysa Alund, USA TODAY, 10 May 2024
Harrison Mantas, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 Apr. 2024
That would be a significant step-down from the massive $188.7 million that Godzilla vs. Kong earned in the country in 2021, but easily the best performance by a Hollywood film there in months.
—Patrick Brzeski, The Hollywood Reporter, 29 Mar. 2024
The consultants also suggest a step-down approach, so tall towers aren’t built next to single family neighborhoods in the north side and Marine Park neighborhoods.
—Harrison Mantas, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 Mar. 2024
The first choice, a step-down facility with enhanced services for those leaving locked care, was quickly ruled out.
—Doug Smith, Los Angeles Times, 1 Mar. 2024
Among the home’s many spaces for entertaining is a vast entrance gallery that leads to a step-down living room that features curved crown moldings, a detailed ceiling, and a fireplace.
—Mark David, Robb Report, 1 Feb. 2024
Nearly 8,000 square feet of open-plan space in the home includes a two-story foyer that opens to a step-down living room and an adjacent dining room area.
—Neal J. Leitereg, Charlotte Observer, 31 Jan. 2024
Every Tuesday and Thursday for three decades, Allan ran a psycho-educational group at Weill Cornell Medical Center’s cardiac care step-down unit for survivors of recent cardiovascular events.
—Gina Ryder, STAT, 3 Jan. 2024
The Victrola Stream Onyx, the step-down version of the Victrola Stream Carbon, is matching its all-time low of $399.99 ($200 off) at Amazon and Best Buy.
—Brandon Widder, The Verge, 16 Dec. 2023
James Lacy, Verywell Health, 28 Mar. 2023
The primary bathroom also features a step-down shower with a view of the mountains.
—R. Daniel Foster, Forbes, 18 Feb. 2023
Verb
After a 17-year career at UCLA, Block, a biologist, had announced plans to step down as chancellor at the end of July to focus on research.
—Jaweed Kaleem, Los Angeles Times, 23 May 2024
Two Senate Republican heavyweights, Minority Whip John Thune and former Minority Whip John Cornyn, are already running to succeed McConnell, who’s expected to step down from his post this year.
—Max Greenwood, Miami Herald, 22 May 2024
Renee Baumgartner is stepping down as Santa Clara University’s director of athletics effective June 30, the school announced on Tuesday afternoon.
—Laurence Miedema, The Mercury News, 21 May 2024
Continuing this tradition, two Minnesota justices this year are stepping down – one voluntarily, the other due to mandatory retirement.
—Bryna Godar, The Conversation, 21 May 2024
The appointment comes after Kyung offered to step down from his post, according to a person familiar with the matter, who asked not to be named discussing private information.
—Yoolim Lee, Fortune Asia, 21 May 2024
Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Republican leader who swept aside concerns about his health after experiencing two freezes on camera last year, plans to step down from leadership at the end of this year.
—Kayla Guo, New York Times, 17 May 2024
Voigt and Srivastava abruptly stepped down within a few days of each other.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 14 May 2024
Tom Brady roast on Netflix: 12 best burns* of NFL legend, Bill Belichick and Patriots All 9 Drake and Kendrick Lamar 2024 diss songs, including 'Not Like Us' and 'Part 6' Miss USA Noelia Voigt makes 'tough decision' to step down.
—Natalie Neysa Alund, USA TODAY, 10 May 2024
Noun
The plan is to create a step-down in heights between the skyscrapers in downtown and the single family neighborhoods in the north side, according to the report.
—Harrison Mantas, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 Apr. 2024
That would be a significant step-down from the massive $188.7 million that Godzilla vs. Kong earned in the country in 2021, but easily the best performance by a Hollywood film there in months.
—Patrick Brzeski, The Hollywood Reporter, 29 Mar. 2024
The consultants also suggest a step-down approach, so tall towers aren’t built next to single family neighborhoods in the north side and Marine Park neighborhoods.
—Harrison Mantas, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 Mar. 2024
The first choice, a step-down facility with enhanced services for those leaving locked care, was quickly ruled out.
—Doug Smith, Los Angeles Times, 1 Mar. 2024
Among the home’s many spaces for entertaining is a vast entrance gallery that leads to a step-down living room that features curved crown moldings, a detailed ceiling, and a fireplace.
—Mark David, Robb Report, 1 Feb. 2024
Nearly 8,000 square feet of open-plan space in the home includes a two-story foyer that opens to a step-down living room and an adjacent dining room area.
—Neal J. Leitereg, Charlotte Observer, 31 Jan. 2024
Every Tuesday and Thursday for three decades, Allan ran a psycho-educational group at Weill Cornell Medical Center’s cardiac care step-down unit for survivors of recent cardiovascular events.
—Gina Ryder, STAT, 3 Jan. 2024
The Victrola Stream Onyx, the step-down version of the Victrola Stream Carbon, is matching its all-time low of $399.99 ($200 off) at Amazon and Best Buy.
—Brandon Widder, The Verge, 16 Dec. 2023
Adjective
Some hospitals have a step-down unit, which provides an intermediate level of care that is less intense than the ICU while providing closer care than the regular unit.
—James Lacy, Verywell Health, 28 Mar. 2023
The primary bathroom also features a step-down shower with a view of the mountains.
—R. Daniel Foster, Forbes, 18 Feb. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'step down.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Step down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/step%20down. Accessed 28 May. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
step-down
1 of 2 adjective
: providing or offering a reduced level of care or service
step-down drug rehab programs
specifically
: providing an intermediate level of care and monitoring especially for patients transitioning out of intensive care
Our group practice rotates us in 3-week stints through various critical and step-down units. —The Journal of the American Medical Association
The Journal of the American Medical Association step-down
2 of 2 noun
variants
or step down
: a decrease or reduction in size or amount
a dosage step-down
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