cool down
Idioms-
Also, cool off.
-
Effect a lower temperature, especially of the body following vigorous exercise. For example, After a race the coach makes the entire team do stretches to cool down , or Let's take a dip to cool off . These phrases date from a.d. 1000 with reference to the weather or cooking (as in First let the eggs cool off ). The first gained renewed currency with the exercise boom of the late 1900s.
-
See cool off , def. 2.
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.
Dart draped ice towels around her neck and used cold-air hoses at the changeovers against Bouzkova as she attempted to cool down.
From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2026
Inflation has remained elevated for the sixth consecutive year, and many of Warsh’s colleagues have begun to press for interest-rate hikes to cool down price increases.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 27, 2026
Anyone working or spending time outdoors is advised to take breaks and have a plan for where you can cool down.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026
It was so hot at points during their U.K. trip that they covered themselves with wet towels to cool down at night, since their hotels didn’t have air conditioning.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026
I haven’t dropped in on her for a good couple of weeks—to let her cool down a bit.
From "I Am the Messenger" by Markus Zusak
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.
