1 A2 neutral
To move downward by rolling.
"The snowball rolled down the hill, getting bigger as it went."
roll down
A2 neutral separable transitive/intransitive
To move downward by rolling, or to lower something by unrolling it.
In plain English
To roll something down (like a car window) or to move down by rolling.
What does "roll down" mean?
4 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 A2 neutral
To open or lower a car window, blind, or similar item by rolling or winding it downward.
"She rolled down the window and called out to him."
separable
3 A2 neutral
To fold or push down a piece of clothing, such as a sleeve or sock.
"He rolled down his sleeves when he went into the meeting."
separable
4 B1 neutral
(Of tears, sweat, or liquid) to flow down a surface.
"Tears rolled down her cheeks as she read the letter."
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To roll in a downward direction — fully transparent.
Actually means
To roll something down (like a car window) or to move down by rolling.
Usage tip
Extremely common for car windows (though the physical act of winding is now largely replaced by pressing a button, the phrase persists). Also used for rolling down sleeves, socks, blinds, or hills. The physical/literal sense is transparent and very high frequency.
Words that pair with "roll down"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
window hill slope sleeve sock blind shutter cheek
How to conjugate "roll down"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
roll down
I/you/we/they
3rd person
rolls down
he/she/it
Past simple
rolled down
yesterday
Past participle
rolled down
have + pp
-ing form
rolling down
continuous
Hear "roll down" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "roll down" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Keep exploring
Jump to every phrasal verb built on the same verb, particle, or level.