slow down
Idioms-
Delay, retard, reduce speed, as in She slowed down the sled by dragging her foot , or Slow down, Bill; you're driving much too fast . [First half of 1800s] Also see slow up .
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Become less active or vigorous, as in Now that I'm in my seventies I find I've slowed down quite a bit . [Second 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.
The release of new wearables underscores how one of the world’s largest tech companies is barreling forward in the AI race even as tech workers and politicians call for the industry to slow down.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 24, 2026
After an Anthropic researcher resigned this month, citing concerns that leading labs are building self-improving, uncontrollable systems, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman called to slow down the pace of technological development.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 2026
He added that Anthropic “will slow down as much as necessary” in the name of safety.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 23, 2026
"The key is to realise that if we don't act, growth will slow down, and if it's handled right it can become an opportunity," he says.
From BBC ● Sep. 22, 2026
And it is impossible to slow down this film, to examine individual frames.
From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt
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.
