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.
Or is being in the wrong place at the very wrong time not enough to bring down one of the best players to have ever pulled on an England shirt?
From BBC • Jun. 9, 2026
Higher borrowing costs tend to dampen demand, helping to bring down inflation.
From Barron's • Jun. 8, 2026
It suggests tapping your retirement fund before age 73 to help bring down your balances, along with your RMDs.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 5, 2026
She also promised to ramp up the production of apartments, including in single-family neighborhoods, in a bid to bring down rental costs.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 3, 2026
Stopping midtirade, he asked, “How would you bring down that bird?”
From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss
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.
