Embodiments of the invention generally provide a method and wordline driver having a reduced leakage current. In one embodiment, a wordline is driven to a boosted high voltage with a driver transistor of the wordline driver if the wordline driver is in an operational mode and the wordline is driven to a downward-driven low voltage if the wordline driver is in a standby mode. The driver transistor is electrically isolated from the downward-driven low voltage of the wordline when the wordline driver is in the standby mode. A leakage current in the wordline driver is thereby reduced.