bring down
Britishverb
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to cause to fall
the fighter aircraft brought the enemy down
the ministers agreed to bring down the price of oil
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slang (usually passive) to cause to be elated and then suddenly depressed, as from using drugs
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Cause to fall, collapse, or die. For example, The pilot won a medal for bringing down enemy aircraft , or The bill's defeat was sure to bring down the party . [c. 1300]
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Cause a punishment or judgment, as in The bomb threats brought down the public's wrath on the terrorists [Mid-1600s]
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Reduce, lower, as in I won't buy it till they bring down the price , or He refused to bring himself down to their level . This usage may be literal, as in the first example, or figurative, as in the second. [First half of 1500s]
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
However, the chair’s hawkish tone reassured some investors that the Fed will act to bring down inflation, amid uncertainty around Warsh’s ability to withstand political pressure.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026
One of the reasons Scotland is favoured by developers is the relatively cool climate which means it generally requires less energy to bring down the temperature of that water.
From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026
"It came to power very much on a programme to bring down crime and energy prices. And crime and petrol prices have come down, so those issues no longer top voters' agendas," Teorell said.
From Barron's ● Sep. 8, 2026
Similar to other hyperscalers, Microsoft is investing in custom silicon to bring down inference costs.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 1, 2026
Guerrilla warfare, he explained, was not designed to win a military victory so much as to unleash political and economic forces that would bring down the enemy.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.