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

While I’m keeping the app option in my back pocket for later, we decided to go analog for our first budgeting rodeo by staring down our raw bank statements.

From MarketWatch

“Where’s your partner in crime?” she asks, staring down at me.

From Literature

He was standing with his back to us as we talked, staring down at the cold unlit stove.

From Literature

I’m sadly reminded of colleagues who never recovered, a sobering thought as we stare down the barrel of yet another employment crisis.

From Los Angeles Times

Dad stared down the corn rows, hearing nothing.

From Literature