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."
separable
chase down
B1 informal separable transitive
To pursue and catch someone or something; or to search persistently until you find information or a person.
In plain English
To run after someone until you catch them; or to keep looking until you find what you need.
What does "chase down" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
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."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To chase someone and get them down — i.e., to pursue and ultimately catch them.
Actually means
To run after someone until you catch them; or to keep looking until you find what you need.
Usage tip
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'.
Words that pair with "chase down"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
suspect lead answer rumour opponent record information
How to conjugate "chase down"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
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
Hear "chase down" in the wild
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Other ways to say "chase down"
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