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• step-down
  step-down

  adjective

  serving to reduce or decrease voltage.
• step down
  step down

  verb

  (tr) to reduce gradually

step-down

American  

[step-doun] / ˈstɛpˌdaʊn /

adjective

Electricity.

1. serving to reduce or decrease voltage.

   a step-down transformer.

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step down British  

verb

1. (tr) to reduce gradually

2. informal (intr) to resign or abdicate (from a position)

3. informal (intr) to assume an inferior or less senior position

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adjective

1. (of a transformer) reducing a high voltage applied to the primary winding to a lower voltage on the secondary winding Compare step up

2. decreasing or falling by stages

noun

1. informal a decrease in quantity or size

step down Idioms  

1. Resign from office, as in He threatened to step down if they continued to argue with him . [Late 1800s]

2. Reduce, especially in stages, as in They were stepping down the voltage . [c. 1900] Also see step up , def. 1.

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Etymology

Origin of step-down

First recorded in 1890–95; adj. use of verb phrase step down

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

step-down step down

This and a step-down in exits meant EQT’s fee-generating assets under management at the end of the first half exceeded expectations by 10 billion euros at 155.4 billion euros, the analysts say.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026

Still, revenue fell by roughly $678 million from the prior quarter, given Covid seasonality and a step-down in vaccination rates from 2025, Tsai noted.

From Barron's ● May 1, 2026

Conventional step-down converters often struggle when dealing with large differences between input and output voltage.

From Science Daily ● Apr. 10, 2026

Another factor to consider: Are there any big expenses coming up that coincide with your sabbatical or step-down?

From MarketWatch ● Mar. 4, 2026

From the clutter of radar gear he pulled a screwdriver and a massive little step-down transformer down on its handle.

From Breaking Point by James E. Gunn

One person close to him believed the time Buffett spent at home recuperating gave him an opportunity to contemplate the company’s future and the decision about when to step down.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 19, 2026

Sturm earlier this week said he would step down after the changes in the company’s shareholder structure and discussions with Frasers, Hugo Boss’s largest shareholder.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026

CEO Shantanu Narayen is due to step down at the start of December, and the company recently named Anil Chakravarthy, the leader of its Customer Experience Orchestration business, to be his successor.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 10, 2026

The titles are given out alternately, in case two MPs wish to step down at the same time, and each new appointment replaces the previous one.

From BBC ● Sep. 5, 2026

The baroness gnashed her teeth as if she planned to bite someone, but the ovation grew until she had no choice but to step down and return to her seat at the trustees’ table.

From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood

Related Words

• abandon
• abdicate
• bow out
• drop out
• leave
• quit
• retire
• terminate