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.
Treasury undergoing a massive debt restructuring to bring down high interest expenses.
From MarketWatch • May 8, 2026
It also needs to find ways to bring down the costs of the other parts as much as possible.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 3, 2026
Still, said Jide Pratt, Nigeria country manager for petro-trading platform Tradegrid, Dangote has room to bring down local jet fuel prices.
From Barron's • Apr. 30, 2026
The Scottish Labour leader also claimed his party would arrange an emergency summit of supermarkets to bring down prices of staple items.
From BBC • Apr. 13, 2026
I slowly bring down the houselights with one hand while bringing up the stage lights with the other.
From "Sparrow" by Sarah Moon
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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.