settle down
Britishverb
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(also tr) to make or become quiet and orderly
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(often foll by to) to apply oneself diligently
please settle down to work
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to adopt an orderly and routine way of life, take up a permanent post, etc, esp after marriage
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Begin living a stable, orderly life; also, marry. For example, After traveling all over the world for years, he decided to settle down in his home town , or Her parents wished she would settle down and raise a family . [Early 1600s]
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Become calm, less nervous, or less restless, as in Come on, children, it's time to settle down . [Mid-1800s]
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Apply oneself seriously, as in If you don't settle down to your homework, you'll never get it done . [First half of 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.
"US trade policy uncertainty has settled down, but not US policy drama overall," S&P said.
From Barron's
Companies hope the trade disputes will settle down, but tariffs hang over the economy like the Sword of Damocles.
From MarketWatch
Resident Michael Edlen, a Realtor in the area, said it may take up to five years “for things to settle down.”
From Los Angeles Times
If - and it is still an if - this calm can last, politics can settle down and businesses might feel more confident.
From BBC
She took a drive to settle down, stopping to chat with a friend who owns a nearby business.
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.
