stare down

Idioms  

1. Cause someone to waver or give in by or as if by being stared at. For example, Insisting on a better room, he stared down the manager until he got it. This expression alludes to staring at someone without being the first to blink or lower one's gaze. [Mid-1800s]

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Example Sentences

Meantime, holiday travelers will stare down an average nationwide gasoline price of $4.08 a gallon, and pay airfares that have skyrocketed with energy costs.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 2, 2026

By taking on Brontë’s book, Fennell was doomed to stare down millions of overly pedantic literature sticklers, people who prefer their adaptations pure and untainted.

From Salon • Feb. 23, 2026

But what once looked like first-mover advantage increasingly looks like a liability as investors stare down a crypto winter.

From Barron's • Feb. 15, 2026

She's not afraid to stare down injustice, or to confront her demons before they swallow her whole.

From BBC • Jan. 8, 2026

I stare down at Marlene’s hand, which is wrapped around my arm.

From "Insurgent" by Veronica Roth