plural noun

• 1A succession of both good and bad experiences.

  ‘I have my ups and downs’

  More example sentences

  • ‘"Even on medications, I still have ups and downs," he said.’
  • ‘By her account, success is made of weeks, months, years of few ups and loads of downs - a whole lifetime of preparation.’
  • ‘Neither of them sugar-coat the ups and downs of working in the industry, but they will open your eyes a great deal about the false assumptions that you're making.’
  • ‘While the ups and considerable downs continue off the pitch, on it York City's stock continues to rise and rise.’
  • ‘In the days and weeks following his death, I had the typical ups and downs-some days fine, and others a jingle on the radio would make me bawl.’
  • ‘I knew there would be ups and downs when we grew up, but I always knew that Liam would be there.’
  • ‘It has been a super season, we have had our ups and downs, but we have seen some great football.’
  • ‘He believes it has supported him during the ups and downs of his rugby years, that it has helped put the painful defeats in perspective.’

  Synonyms

  vicissitudes, uncertainties, inconstancy, instability, unpredictability, chanciness, fickleness, variability, changeability, fluctuation, vacillation, alteration, changes

  View synonyms

  1. 1.1Rises and falls, especially in the value or success of something.
     ‘the ups and downs of the market’
     More example sentences

     • ‘There are always going to be ups and downs in your career and in your life.’
     • ‘It's full of ups and downs, sure, but we have to stand up and face life when it gets hard.’
     • ‘Even though there have been many ups and downs in the industry over the years, this is where I want to be.’
     • ‘The ups and downs of natural processes have been exerting their effects on humankind for ages.’
     • ‘There will be occasional ups and downs, but there has been no significant change in that trend.’
     • ‘I admit that I have had my fair share of ups and downs over the past three years.’
     • ‘She's a trampolinist, so it is no surprise her career has had its ups and downs.’
     • ‘Each of the classes has their own ups and downs, but there are only a couple that are fun.’
     • ‘It was like the notes in a song, with its ups and downs, a melody that he would never tire of.’
     • ‘He describes the next two and a half years as being a time of ups and downs.’
     • ‘The road starts to twist and turn and there are a few ups and downs too which make for a more interesting, if more arduous, ride.’
     • ‘In a long campaign like this, there's lots of ups and downs and different courses of events.’
     • ‘By all respects, this was a voyage with ups and downs, but in the end it all worked out.’
     • ‘In the meantime, it seems they too will have to weather the country's economic ups and downs.’
     • ‘Writing for a living doesn't pay much, and running your own business has its ups and downs.’
     • ‘The school has been through a period of ups and downs over the past year.’
     • ‘Camelot, the company that runs Britain's national lottery, has had its ups and downs.’
     • ‘The ups and downs of the sport can be extreme, especially if you're in it for the long haul.’
     • ‘It's like a marriage - we have our ups and downs but we wouldn't dream of leaving each other.’
     • ‘It has certainly been a fascinating journey, if not without its ups and downs.’