bring down
to make something lower, fall, or feel worse
Meanings
to reduce the level, amount, or price of something
"The supermarket brought down the price of milk again."
"The government must bring down inflation."
— Common political speech phrasing; no single secure citation recalled
to cause a government, leader, or system to lose power
"The scandal was enough to bring down the minister."
"It is not enough just to change presidents or prime ministers to bring down a dictatorship."
— Aung San Suu Kyi, public speeches/interviews, widely cited theme
to make someone feel sad or less confident
"Don't let one bad comment bring you down."
"Nothing can bring me down."
— Emeli Sandé, song lyric/theme echo; exact secure citation not relied on
to make something fall, especially an aircraft, animal, or enemy
"The storm brought down several power lines overnight."
"Enemy fire brought down the helicopter."
— Common news-report phrasing; no single secure citation recalled
A very flexible and common phrasal verb. Meaning depends strongly on context: prices, governments, mood, planes, and scores are all common objects.
Commonly used with
Forms
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Synonyms
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