English verb: step down | |||
1. | step down (social) give up or retire from a position | ||
Samples | The Secretary of the Navy will leave office next month. The chairman resigned over the financial scandal. | ||
Synonyms | leave office, quit, resign | ||
Pattern of use | Somebody ----s | ||
Broader (hypernym) | depart, leave, pull up stakes | ||
Narrower (hyponym) | fall, give up, renounce, resign, retire, top out, vacate | ||
Antonyms | take office | ||
2. | step down (change) reduce the level or intensity or size or scope of | ||
Samples | De-escalate a crisis. | ||
Synonyms | de-escalate, weaken | ||
Pattern of use | Somebody ----s something. Something ----s something | ||
Broader (hypernym) | decrease, lessen, minify | ||
Antonyms | escalate, intensify, step up | ||