bring down
phrasal verb·4 senses·particle down
Meanings
Cause something to fall or land
Why “down”? Movement goes from high to low.
“They brought down the plane.”
“The shot brought down the drone.”
Make something lower in level or amount
Why “down”? When there is less of something, it goes down. Prices, sound, heat and speed all work this way.
“They brought down inflation.”
“The new treatment brought his blood pressure down.”
“The new policy brought prices down.”
Cause a government or leader to lose power
Why “down”? A structure, a system, or someone's mood can go down when it fails.
“The scandal brought the government down.”
“The vote brought down the minister.”
Make someone feel sad or depressed
Why “down”? Something is pressed down and kept from rising again.
“That news really brought me down.”
“The empty house brought her down.”
Don't confuse with
Bring down means cause something to fall or land. Bring up means mention or raise a topic.
Test yourself
“They brought down the plane.” What does it mean?
Nearby in the meaning map
Sink In connects verbs by particle pattern, contrast pairs, and shared base verbs.
bring up
A contrast learners often mix up
Mention or raise a topic
back down
Same down pattern: losing
Withdraw from a position
bear down
Same down pattern: downward
Move quickly and threateningly toward someone
beat down
Same down pattern: downward
(of sun or rain) fall strongly and steadily
bend down
Same down pattern: downward
Lean the upper body downward
blow down
Same down pattern: downward
Cause something to fall by blowing
bog down
Same down pattern: pressure
Slow or get stuck
break down
Same down pattern: losing
(of a vehicle or machine) stop working; Lose emotional control and start crying; Separate something into smaller parts to understand it; (of negotiations or relationships) fail or end; Force a door open by hitting it; Decompose into simpler chemical substances
Practice “bring down” in Sink In
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