flag down

Idioms  

1. Signal to stop, as in The police were flagging down all cars. This expression uses the verb flag in the sense of “catch the attention of, as by waving a flag,” a usage dating from the mid-1800s; down was added in the first half of the 1900s.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

flag down

Peterson has shown flashes of brilliance, but has also missed time with mysterious injuries and seen his play flag down the stretch.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 21, 2026

While the law did not change, assistant referees were told to keep their flag down if they felt there was an immediate goalscoring opportunity.

From BBC ● May 14, 2025

The decision to take the flag down outside City Hall came just days after the New York Times reported that the flag was flown outside of U.S.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 30, 2024

As cinders rained around her, the woman tried to flag down people driving past for a ride.

From Washington Times ● Oct. 13, 2023

They would paddle quickly to Claiborne and flag down a boat.

From "Zeitoun" by Dave Eggers

Related Words

• address
• greet
• salute
• signal
• welcome