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

See Examples For:

stare down

While brave founders voted for liberty, the general had to stare down the British army.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 3, 2026

Fury - who had the infamous 11-minute and 20-second stare down with Usyk before their second fight 16 months ago - shared just a short seven-second face-off with Makhmudov, before the 36-year-old left the stage.

From BBC ● Apr. 10, 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

I stare down the long, empty hallway, and then I'm running.

From "We Are Okay" by Nina LaCour

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