downshift

verb

down·​shift ˈdau̇n-ˌshift How to pronounce downshift (audio)
downshifted; downshifting; downshifts

intransitive verb

1
: to shift an automotive vehicle into a lower gear
2
: to move or shift to a lower level (as of speed, activity, or intensity)
downshift noun

Examples of downshift in a Sentence

You can downshift to slow the car down.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Downey carries off McNeal’s charm well — courting applause when McNeal delivers showboating, professorial tirades about Shakespeare and Saul Bellow — but struggles to downshift into subtlety. Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 30 Sep. 2024 That in turn has forced traders to downshift forecasts for how much the Fed will ultimately cut rates by. Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2024 The economy produced an average of 222,000 per month in the first half of the year, but there is an expectation of a slowdown to start the second half, as companies downshift their hiring plans. Jill Schlesinger, The Mercury News, 5 Aug. 2024 The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued multiple recalls last week, including notices for more than 550,000 Ford trucks because the transmission can suddenly downshift. Ahjané Forbes, The Courier-Journal, 1 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for downshift 

Word History

First Known Use

1944, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of downshift was in 1944

Dictionary Entries Near downshift

Cite this Entry

“Downshift.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/downshift. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on downshift

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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