down·grade
ˈdau̇n-ˌgrād 
1
: a downward grade (as of a road)
2
: a descent toward an inferior state
a career on the downgrade
downgraded; downgrading; downgrades
Synonyms
Examples of downgrade in a Sentence
Noun
a downgrade in the company's stock prices
a singing career on the downgrade
Verb
The restaurant was downgraded from three to two stars.
She didn't intend to downgrade the importance of her colleague's work.
Recent Examples on the Web
Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 1 June 2024
Hot Space never quite lives up to that potential, with its tinny drum machine beats sounding like a pallid downgrade from the band’s dependable rhythm section.
—Al Shipley, SPIN, 18 May 2024
Summer Lin, Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2024
Once their products reached American shores, companies relied on transportation networks that depended on millions of workers who submitted to dangerous and lonely jobs, even as their pay and working conditions were downgraded.
—Peter S. Goodman, New York Times, 2 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for downgrade 
Noun
According to the minister, the downgrade was driven by a sharp increase in debt when the government spent vast sums during the Covid pandemic to save businesses and protect households.
—Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 1 June 2024
Hot Space never quite lives up to that potential, with its tinny drum machine beats sounding like a pallid downgrade from the band’s dependable rhythm section.
—Al Shipley, SPIN, 18 May 2024
Verb
Advertisement Active fire Number of hotspots California wildfires map
About this map
Feeding on light, dry grass, the fire moved toward Tracy, a city of about 100,000 east of San Francisco, and triggered mandatory evacuations that were downgraded to warnings at 6 p.m. Sunday.
—Summer Lin, Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2024
Once their products reached American shores, companies relied on transportation networks that depended on millions of workers who submitted to dangerous and lonely jobs, even as their pay and working conditions were downgraded.
—Peter S. Goodman, New York Times, 2 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for downgrade
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'downgrade.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near downgrade
Cite this Entry
“Downgrade.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/downgrade. Accessed 8 Jun. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
downgrade
1 of 2 noun
down·grade
-ˌgrād
1
: a downward slope
2
: a lowering toward a worse condition
a neighborhood on the downgrade
downgrade
adverb
downgrade
2 of 2 verb
: to lower in grade, rank, or standing
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