count down

Idioms  

1. Count backward from any number to zero to indicate time, as in The final seconds before take off were counted down: 10, 9, 8, etc . The down in this term refers to the decreasing size of the numbers. This usage originated in connection with the firing of missiles and spacecraft and has since been broadened to such events as the roll call of states at a political convention. [c. 1950]

2. Make final preparations for an event, as in Hong Kong was counting down to the day when it became part of mainland China . This usage is derived from def. 1. [Late 1950s]

---

Example Sentences

While traditional energy investors spent the past weekend counting down the minutes until futures markets reopened on Sunday, overseas crypto traders were already placing their bets on the direction of oil prices.

From The Wall Street Journal

When he was handed the items in a Vilnius park in July 2024 the timers inside were already counting down.

From BBC

The person with the megaphone counts down to the start.

From Literature

“We are counting down to the next wave of shut‑ins, driven by export bottlenecks and refinery constraints,” Kaneva wrote.

From Barron's

The starter counted down from ten, down to three, down to two, down to one.

From Literature