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size down

B2 neutral both transitive/intransitive

to reduce something in size, amount, or scale

In plain English

to make something smaller

What does "size down" mean?

2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.

1 B2 idiomatic neutral

to make something smaller in size or scale

"The company had to size down its expansion plans."

both
2 B2 idiomatic neutral

to move to a smaller clothing size or choose a smaller-sized item

"If the fabric stretches, you may want to size down."

If you're between sizes, size down.

— Common retail sizing advice
intransitive
Usage tip

Less common than 'scale down.' Also used in retail to mean choose a smaller clothing size.

Words that pair with "size down"

Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.

operation business house clothing team plans

How to conjugate "size down"

The five tense forms you'll use most often.

Base
size down
I/you/we/they
3rd person
sizes down
he/she/it
Past simple
sized down
yesterday
Past participle
sized down
have + pp
-ing form
sizing down
continuous

Hear "size down" in the wild

Listen to native speakers using "size down" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.

Other ways to say "size down"

Swap in when you want variety — tap a linked one to explore it.

downsize go smaller make smaller reduce scale down

Keep exploring

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