ups and downs

American  

plural noun

1. rises and falls of fortune; good and bad times.

   Every business has its ups and downs.

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ups and downs British  

plural noun

1. alternating periods of good and bad fortune, high and low spirits, etc

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ups and downs Idioms  

1. Good times and bad times, successes and failures, as in We've had our ups and downs but things are going fairly well now. This term was first recorded in 1659.

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Etymology

Origin of ups and downs

First recorded in 1650–60

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

ups and downs

Michigan fans, meantime, have closely followed the ups and downs of Underwood, the player most associated with the Ellisons’ largess.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026

Oracle’s stock has been known to move in step with the ups and downs of OpenAI’s news cycle — and that drove it to its fifth straight drop on Tuesday.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 15, 2026

Osnabruck said the tifo symbolised its turbulent club history in a journey fans refer to as a "rollercoaster ride full of ups and downs".

From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2026

While the rappers’ 2017 project “No Pressure” is more street anthem-driven, their second effort highlights the ups and downs of relationships.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026

But having treated him through many ups and downs, Lebensohn believed that William was “an extraordinarily intelligent man” with “Manic Depressive Illness.”

From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield