Commonly confused
Run up vs Run down
“Run up” and “Run down” look alike but pull in different directions. Here is what each one means, with examples — and the difference that learners most often miss.
The key difference
Run down means criticise someone or something. Run up means accumulate a debt, bill or score quickly.
run up
- 1
Accumulate a debt, bill or score quickly
“He ran up a huge bar tab.”
run down
- 1
Criticise someone or something
“He's always running down his colleagues.”
Stop mixing them up
Sink In turns confusable pairs like this into quick contrast drills, so the right particle becomes automatic.