ups and downs
Americanplural noun
plural noun
Etymology
Origin of ups and downs
First recorded in 1650–60
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The BBC first started charting the pothole's ups and downs during the frosts of February 2025.
From BBC • Jun. 10, 2026
We asked four families to lay out the financial ups and downs of older parenthood.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 7, 2026
Inventories are the shock absorbers of the energy world: They smooth out the tension between the ups and downs of supply and the usually steady pace of demand.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 6, 2026
A high-school athlete, she had ups and downs with body image and food after having two children, and buying new clothes for herself wasn’t a favorite exercise.
From Salon • Jun. 3, 2026
Still, the ups and downs of Whitiker’s middle-class existence show that the transition out of poverty is not an easy one.
From "Class Matters" by The New York Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
