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

A 71-year-old retired public servant at the same training session as Hwang recalled spending over 30 minutes trying to flag down a taxi on a busy Seoul street.

From Barron's ● Sep. 14, 2026

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

Cretan, the spokesperson for the mayor’s office, said there was no legislative requirement to take the flag down.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 30, 2024

Felix Nmecha pops up in a pocket of space by the corner flag down Dortmund's right.

From BBC ● Mar. 29, 2024

He saw: a red flag, down in die smoke and dark.

From "The Killer Angels: The Classic Novel of the Civil War" by Michael Shaara

Related Words

• address
• greet
• salute
• signal
• welcome