Particle guide
Phrasal verbs with down
The particle down starts from one core idea — downward motion. Sink In groups its verbs by the recurring ways that idea plays out, so verbs that look unrelated line up into patterns.
102 phrasal verbs · 11 meaning groups
Take the down quizDownward
Movement goes from high to low.
Usual verb + particle uses
The verb keeps its normal meaning. The particle adds its usual direction or relation.
bend down
Lean the upper body downward
“Bend down and pick it up.”
“He bent down to tie his shoe.”
blow down
Cause something to fall by blowing
“The wind blew the fence down.”
“A storm blew the tree down.”
climb down
Descend by gripping or stepping
“He climbed down from the roof carefully.”
“The child climbed down from the tree.”
crouch down
Lower yourself into a squat
“The cat crouched down ready to pounce.”
“The guard crouched down behind the wall.”
hang down
Be positioned so that one part dangles downward
“Her hair hung down over her face.”
“The wires hung down from the ceiling.”
kneel down
Lower yourself onto your knees
“The runner knelt down to tie her laces.”
“The gardener knelt down to pull a weed.”
lie down
Place yourself in a horizontal position
“Maya lay down on the sofa for a short rest after dinner.”
“She lay down on the grass.”
“Leo lay down on the seaside hotel bed after the train journey.”
look down
Direct your eyes downward
“He looked down at his shoes.”
“She looked down at the coin on the floor.”
press down
Push firmly downward on something
“Press down on the wound.”
“Press down on the lid until it clicks.”
push down
Press something downward with force
“Push down the lid.”
“Push down the handle to open the door.”
sit down
Move to a seated position
“Maya and Leo sat down by the cafe window for a break from shopping.”
“Leo sat down on the sofa after the evening dishes were done.”
“The pupils sat down when the teacher entered.”
“Maya and Leo sat down beside the team before the morning office meeting began.”
“Maya and Leo sat down by the window after they got on the train.”
throw down
Drop something forcefully to the ground
“She threw down her bag.”
“He threw down the letter in anger.”
walk down
Walk along a street or path
“They walked down the high street.”
“We walked down the path to the lake.”
Eat Or Drink
Food, drink, or medicine goes down the throat into the body.
Less
A level or amount becomes lower. This can happen to prices, sound, heat, or speed.
Calming
Strong feelings or energy become lower and calmer.
Losing
A structure, a system, or someone's mood can go down when it fails.
Writing
Information is fixed in words, on paper or in a recording.
Pressure
Something is pressed down and kept from rising again.
Into Parts
You move from the whole thing to the smaller parts, so you can understand it.
Breakdown
A whole loses its structure and breaks into simpler parts.
Exact Point
Attention moves down to one exact point. A target is found, fixed, or specified.
Surface Work
The hand moves down along a surface. It presses, fixes, wipes, or checks it closely.
Sink In — iOS & Android
Practice the down patterns in Sink In
The app turns each meaning group into short review cards: recognition, particle cloze, meaning-to-particle recall, and schema matching.
- Learn the pattern behind dozens of verbs at once — not one-off translations.
- Spaced repetition (SM-2) brings each meaning back right before you forget.
- Four practice modes train recall and discrimination, not just recognition.
