Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

bring down

British  

verb

  1. to cause to fall

    the fighter aircraft brought the enemy down

    the ministers agreed to bring down the price of oil

  2. slang (usually passive) to cause to be elated and then suddenly depressed, as from using drugs

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

bring down Idioms  
  1. 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]

  2. Cause a punishment or judgment, as in The bomb threats brought down the public's wrath on the terrorists [Mid-1600s]

  3. 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.

See Examples For:

Pinto is the Portuguese computer hacker who tried to bring down City.

From BBC ● Sep. 26, 2026

Xcimer’s fusion design would build on the national lab’s work and try to bring down costs.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026

European cities will gain more leeway to curb short-term rentals such as Airbnb under plans to bring down housing costs in tourism hotspots that the European Union is to unveil Wednesday.

From Barron's ● Sep. 9, 2026

A spokesperson said the government was supporting schools to take further steps to bring down the cost of individual items.

From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026

I bring down speakers and play upbeat music while we work.

From "A Soft Place to Land" by Janae Marks

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Dictionary.com's Learning Companion

Go beyond just looking up words.
Remember them forever with VocabTrainer.

Start training