To step down is to resign from a position of power. Chairman, minister, manager — the word covers them all.
It is the polite formula, since it implies a dignified choice rather than being pushed, which is why it appears in the announcement whatever actually happened. It takes as or from. Step aside means much the same and hints slightly more strongly at pressure. Stand down is the British parliamentary version, used when an MP will not seek re-election, and it also means to cancel an alert.
1phrasestep downTo resign from an important position.
“He will step down as chairman at the end of the year.”
Also accepted in games: step aside
Practised in Phrasal Verbs, A Man Called Ove
First appears in chapter 7 of A Man Called Ove.
Practise this word