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.
Expedia Group called out tech and emerging AI channels in its quest for efficiency, while Trivago is cashing in on past brand investments to bring down the cost of acquiring customers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
And Sweeney insists a mayor could emulate work done in cities like Manchester and London to bring down fares.
From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2026
It is not meant to replace humans and cannot bring down Japan's suicide rate -- the highest in the G7 -- alone, she stressed.
From Barron's ● Jul. 28, 2026
Meantime, the U.S. needs a more diverse arsenal that can bring down cheap missiles and drones without using an interceptor that works beautifully but by public estimates is $4 million a pop.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
“You could bring down a bear with the strength in your club.”
From "The Birchbark House" by Louise Erdrich
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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.