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
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
Brian Evans, CNBC, 12 Mar. 2025
The state expected more companies to fall under federal Title V air permit standards following the downgrade, meaning more oversight and more paperwork for regulators.
—Noelle Phillips, The Denver Post, 10 Mar. 2025
Michael Bloom, CNBC, 13 Mar. 2025
Question: Are the first two months of a Trump presidency enough to downgrade economic forecasts?
—Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for downgrade
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Noun
PepsiCo — Stock in the soda company ticked down almost 3% after a downgrade to hold at Jefferies.
—Brian Evans, CNBC, 12 Mar. 2025
The state expected more companies to fall under federal Title V air permit standards following the downgrade, meaning more oversight and more paperwork for regulators.
—Noelle Phillips, The Denver Post, 10 Mar. 2025
Verb
Barclays downgrades American Eagle to underweight from equal weight Barclays downgraded the stock over concerns about weaker teen spending.
—Michael Bloom, CNBC, 13 Mar. 2025
Question: Are the first two months of a Trump presidency enough to downgrade economic forecasts?
—Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for downgrade
Cite this Entry
“Downgrade.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/downgrade. Accessed 22 Mar. 2025.
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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