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Synonyms

live down

British  
/ lɪv /

verb

  1. (tr, adverb) to withstand the effects of (a crime, mistake, etc) by waiting until others forget or forgive it

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
live down Idioms  

  1. Overcome or reduce the shame of a mistake, misdeed, or the like. It is often put in the negative, as in I'm afraid I'll never live down that tactless remark I made. [Mid-1800s]

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.

See Examples For:

He thought he might never live down that fumbled opportunity.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 11, 2026

“Transitory” went from a party line to a punchline, one the Fed is still trying to live down.

From Barron's ● Apr. 24, 2026

“There are those coming from the Northeast that want to live down here and those in South Florida who want to finally live by the water,” he said.

From MarketWatch ● Apr. 1, 2026

And it’s less common now for you to just knock on somebody’s door and say, “Hey, I live down the street. How are you?”

From Salon ● Sep. 13, 2025

“How many people live down here?” asked Gregor.

From "Gregor the Overlander" by Suzanne Collins

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.

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