What does "track down" mean?

Find someone or something after a difficult search. For example: They tracked down the witness.

track down

phrasal verb·1 sense·particle down

Meanings

Why “down”? Attention moves down to one exact point. A target is found, fixed, or specified.

“They tracked down the witness.”

They found the witness after a long search.

“I tracked down the missing receipt.”

I found the missing receipt after a difficult search.

Test yourself

“They tracked down the witness.” What does it mean?

Nearby in the meaning map

Sink In connects verbs by particle pattern, contrast pairs, and shared base verbs.

hunt down

Same down pattern: exact point

Search for someone or something until you find them

nail down

Same down pattern: exact point

Specify or fix precisely

pin down

Same down pattern: exact point

Hold someone in place by force; Get someone to commit to a clear answer or decision; Identify or define something exactly

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