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 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 Web
Annie Palmer, CNBC, 28 Oct. 2025
The difference between cuts at both retail giants is Target has seen a prolonged downturn in sales that forced CEO Brian Cornell to step down from his role.
—Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 27 Oct. 2025
Lauren Giella, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Oct. 2025
Then complete superset 2: do six to eight reps per side of the reverse step-down, followed by six to eight reps per side of the side plank with hip abduction.
—Jenny McCoy, Outside, 28 Sep. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for step down
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Verb
As part of Monday's announcement, the company said Dan Rosensweig will return as CEO effective immediately, replacing Nathan Schultz, who will step down from the role and remain as an executive advisor to Rosensweig and Chegg's board.
—Annie Palmer, CNBC, 28 Oct. 2025
The difference between cuts at both retail giants is Target has seen a prolonged downturn in sales that forced CEO Brian Cornell to step down from his role.
—Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 27 Oct. 2025
Noun
Kerri Wilson is a registered nurse working on a medical cardiology step-down unit at Mission.
—Lauren Giella, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Oct. 2025
Then complete superset 2: do six to eight reps per side of the reverse step-down, followed by six to eight reps per side of the side plank with hip abduction.
—Jenny McCoy, Outside, 28 Sep. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for step down
Cite this Entry
“Step down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/step%20down. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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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