DOWNGRADE Synonyms: 191 Similar and Opposite Words

downgrade 1 of 3

noun

ˈdau̇n-ˌgrād

Definition of downgrade

as in deterioration

a change to a lower state or level a singing career on the downgrade

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in downhill

a downward slope the gentle downgrade of the parking area is designed for drainage

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

downgrade

2 of 3

verb

as in to demote

to bring to a lower grade or rank increased automation resulted in many jobs in the factory being downgraded

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to reduce

to diminish the price or value of the company's filing for Chapter 11 downgraded the stock to the point where it was selling for pennies a share

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

downgrade

3 of 3

adverb

as in downward

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of downgrade

Noun

That followed Fitch Ratings’ downgrade of Skydance’s credit rating on Monday ahead of the merger’s close. — Corbin Bolies, Variety, 7 Oct. 2026 The downgrade Monday evening followed a similar move by S&P Global in late September. — Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 6 Oct. 2026

Verb

Once Isaias comes ashore, it is expected to weaken until it is downgraded to a tropical storm by Saturday afternoon, the hurricane center said. — Arkansas Online, 10 Oct. 2026 The whole region could get soaked Once Isaias comes ashore, it is expected to weaken until it is downgraded to a tropical storm by Saturday afternoon, the hurricane center said. — Sophie Bates, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for downgrade

Recent Examples of Synonyms for downgrade

Noun

Unlike Netflix, Disney is wrestling with the ongoing deterioration of linear TV.

— Todd Spangler, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026
That creates a different situation when a condition begins with something a resident or guest did rather than deterioration of the building or a maintenance issue.

— Emma Clapp, Miami Herald, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of deterioration

Noun

Direct water toward the bed by installing a gutter extension, creating a downhill slope, digging a trench or connecting a PVC pipe to a distant gutter and running it underground to the rain garden.

— ABC News, ABC News, 6 Oct. 2026
Allen is a solid downhill, change-of-pace runner who can be used in short-yardage situations.

— Antwan Staley, New York Daily News, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of downhill

Verb

Detroit demoted former general manager Steve Yzerman in July, giving him an advisory role to owner and CEO Chris Ilitch, and named Shawn Horcoff interim GM after failing to hire one during a search.

— CBS News, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026
Wilson was eventually demoted, making Winston the primary backup.

— Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 11 Oct. 2026

Definition of demote

Verb

Sullivan touted his Bycatch Reduction Act, a bill intended to reduce excess fish caught by large commercial trawlers.

— Matthew Choi The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 17 Oct. 2026
Energy-absorbing seats are designed to manage forces transmitted to occupants during an impact, potentially reducing injury risks.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of reduce

Adverb

Higher yields in the bond market push downward on prices for all kinds of stocks, and the main way companies can offset that is by delivering bigger profits.

— Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026
In her debut Tuesday, Zacharia looked downward and often read directly from a script.

— ABC News, ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of downward

Noun

Nature Morte remained consistently successful, despite a dip in Europe’s economic fortune in the 2010s that saw Nagy turn to India, whose art scene was now burgeoning, for a large portion of sales.

— News Desk, Artforum, 14 Oct. 2026
In this case, for instance, Rabtsevich noticed the dips in TIC 4206066's light in 2018 tended to align with moments where TESS fired its thrusters, which may have skewed the results.

— Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of dip

Adverb

Shares of Netflix are down 20% year-to-date on fears the streamer’s days of double-digit gains are coming to an end.

— Todd Spangler, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026
According to CrowdStrike’s 2026 Global Threat Report, the average breakout time from initial access to lateral movement is 29 minutes, down 65% from 2024.

— Asaf Wiener, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of down

Browse Nearby Words

downfalls

downgrade

downgraded

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Downgrade.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/downgrade. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of downgrade

noun

verb

adverb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

compunction

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes