come down

Idioms  

1. Lose wealth or position, as in After the market crashed, the Tates really came down in the world . A 1382 translation of the Bible by followers of John Wycliffe had this term: “Come down from glory, sit in thirst” (Jeremiah 48:18).

2. Become reduced in size or amount, be lowered, as in Interest rates will have to come down before the economy recovers . [Mid-1600s]

3. Be handed down by inheritance, tradition, or a higher authority. For example, This painting has come down to us from our great-grandparents , or These stories have come down through the generations , or An indictment finally came down . [c. 1400]

4. Also, go down . Happen, occur, as in What's coming down tonight? [ Slang ; 1960s]

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Example Sentences

It’s more like throwing the game board up in the air to see how it might come down.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026

In other words, valuation levels have had to come down to account for an evolving view of the company’s potential legal liabilities going forward.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 27, 2026

"The risk is that the PMI data, which is a lead indicator, is the start of a wave of weaker economic data to come down the line," said Kathleen Brooks, research director at XTB.

From Barron's • Mar. 24, 2026

Mark Bird, from GBGB, said the decision "appears to come down to arguments of a purely academic nature".

From BBC • Mar. 21, 2026

The other kids and I could still come down here when we want to hang out without our parents around.

From "A Soft Place to Land" by Janae Marks