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

On Thursday, the stare down lasted almost as long as four rounds of boxing.

From BBC • Dec. 19, 2024

I will stare down the mob with their pitchforks!

From "Beauty Queens" by Libba Bray