chase down
B1 informal separable transitive
In simple words
To run after someone until you catch them; or to keep looking until you find what you need.
Literal meaning: To chase someone and get them down — i.e., to pursue and ultimately catch them.
Meanings
1 B1 neutral
To pursue someone or something physically and catch them.
"The sprinter chased down his rival in the final 20 metres to win the race."
Grammar: separable
2 B2
idiomatic
informal
To search persistently until you find a piece of information, an answer, or a person.
"It took me a week to chase down the original source of that statistic."
Grammar: separable
Usage notes
Common in sports (chasing down a lead or opponent), law enforcement (police chasing down suspects), and everyday contexts (chasing down a fact or contact). The object typically comes after 'down'.
Commonly used with
suspect lead answer rumour opponent record information
Forms
Base
chase down
I/you/we/they
3rd person
chases down
he/she/it
Past simple
chased down
yesterday
Past participle
chased down
have + pp
-ing form
chasing down
continuous
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Synonyms
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