Phrasal verbs with down

Down is about going lower, getting less, or stopping: sit down, slow down, calm down, cut down on sugar, break down.

Practise: 8 questions with answers See all 25 by level

Phrasal verbs with down by level

A1–A26come down, go down, lie down
B18put down, go down, turn down
B241put down, get down to, take down
C1–C29fall down, run down, back down

Each meaning has its own level, from Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries and the Cambridge Dictionary, or our estimate (~) where they give none.

A1–A2The first ones to learn 6 meanings

come downcome downA2
move down to a lower place, towards the speaker
Come down! Dinner’s ready.
go downgo downA2
move to a lower place, like downstairs
Go down the stairs and turn left.
lie downlie downA2
put your body flat on a bed or the floor, to rest
I feel dizzy. I need to lie down.
write downwrite something downA2
write something on paper so you do not forget it
Can you write down your phone number for me?
sit downsit downA1
move your body from standing to sitting
Please sit down and open your books.
slow downslow somebody or something downA2
go or happen more slowly, or make something do this
Slow down! You’re driving too fast.

B1Common, with a clear meaning 8 meanings

put downput somebody or something downB1
place something you are holding on a table or the floor
She put down her bags and hugged me.
go downgo downB1
become lower, like a price, a number or a temperature
The price of flights went down in March.
go downgo downB1
disappear below the horizon in the evening, for the sun
The sun goes down at about eight in summer.
turn downturn something downB1
make a sound, heat or light lower
Can you turn the music down? I’m on the phone.
fall downfall downB1
drop to the ground from a standing position
She slipped on the ice and fell down.
cut downcut downB1
eat, drink or use less of something
I’m trying to cut down on sugar.
cool downcool something downB1
become less hot, or make something less hot
Let the cake cool down before you cut it.
settle downsettle downB1
sit or lie in a comfortable position
We settled down on the sofa to watch a film.

B2Second meanings and more idiomatic ones 41 meanings

put downput somebody or something downB2
write a name or detail on a list or a form
Put my name down for the trip.
put downput somebody downB2
say unkind things to make someone feel stupid
He always puts his sister down in front of friends.
put downput somebody or something downB2
kill a sick or old animal kindly, so it does not suffer
The vet said we had to put our old dog down.
get down toget down to somethingB2
start doing something seriously and with full attention
Right, everyone. Let’s get down to business.
take downtake something downB2
remove something from a wall or a high place, or take it apart
Can you help me take down the curtains?
take downtake somebody or something downB2
remove something from a website
The site took down the video after a day.
take downtake something downB2
write down what someone is saying
The officer took down my name and address.
come downcome downB2
become lower, like a price or a temperature
House prices have come down a little.
come downcome downB2
fall to the ground
The old tree came down in the storm.
go downgo downB2
get a good or bad reaction from people
His joke didn’t go down well.
look down onlook down on somebodyB2
think that you are better than someone
He looks down on people who don’t go to university.
turn downturn somebody or something downB2
say no to an offer, an invitation or a person
He turned down the job because the pay was low.
break downbreak downB2
stop working, used for cars and machines
Our car broke down on the way to the airport.
break downbreak downB2
start crying because you cannot control your feelings
She broke down when the doctor gave her the news.
break downbreak downB2
fail, used for talks, plans or relationships
Talks between the two companies broke down last night.
break downbreak something downB2
divide something into smaller parts so it is easier to understand
Can you break down the costs for me?
fall downfall downB2
be in such bad condition that it may break and drop
That old barn is falling down.
cut downcut something downB2
cut through a tree so that it falls to the ground
They cut down the old oak to build a car park.
cut downcut something downB2
make a text, speech or list shorter
Your essay is too long. Can you cut it down?
bring downbring something downB2
make something lower, like prices, costs or a temperature
The shop has brought down its prices for the sale.
bring downbring somebody or something downB2
make a government or leader lose power
The scandal brought down the prime minister.
bring downbring somebody downB2
make someone feel sad or less happy
Don’t let one bad review bring you down.
run downrun something downB2
lose power slowly, or make something lose power
My phone battery runs down really fast in the cold.
calm downcalm downB2
stop feeling angry, upset or too excited
Calm down and tell me exactly what happened.
calm downcalm somebody downB2
make someone feel less angry, upset or excited
A warm bath usually calms the baby down.
calm downcalm downB2
become quieter, less busy or less violent
Things at work should calm down after Christmas.
cool downcool downB2
become calmer after being angry or excited
Wait until he’s cooled down before you talk to him.
cool downcool downB2
do slow, easy exercise after hard exercise
Walk for five minutes to cool down after your run.
close downclose downB2
stop doing business for ever, used for shops, companies and factories
My favourite bookshop closed down last year.
close downclose somebody or something downB2
make a business or place stop working
The city closed down the club after a fight.
knock downknock something downB2
destroy a building or wall on purpose
They’re knocking down the old cinema to build flats.
knock downknock somebody downB2
hit someone, especially with a car, so they fall
A cyclist was knocked down by a van this morning.
knock downknock somebody or something downB2
make a price lower, or persuade a seller to do this
The shop knocked the sofa down to half price.
sit downsit downB2
meet with someone to talk about something serious
We need to sit down and talk about money.
slow downslow downB2
become less busy and relax more
The doctor told my dad to slow down and rest more.
settle downsettle downB2
start to feel happy and relaxed in a new place or situation
She settled down quickly at her new school.
shut downshut something downB2
close a business or factory so it stops working, often for ever
The steel factory shut down in 2015.
shut downshut something downB2
turn off a computer or machine in the correct way
Don’t forget to shut down your laptop before you leave.
let downlet somebody downB2
disappoint someone by not doing what they hoped or expected
I promised to help, and I won’t let you down.
let downlet something downB2
let the air out of a tyre or a ball
Someone let down all four of my tyres!
wind downwind downB2
slowly relax after a busy or stressful time
I read for half an hour to wind down before bed.

C1–C2Less common and more formal 9 meanings

fall downfall downC1
fail or be weak in one part
The plan falls down because it costs too much.
run downrun somebody or something downC1
say unkind things about someone or something, often unfairly
He’s always running down his own country.
run downrun something downC1
make a business or service slowly smaller or less active
The company is running down its factory in the north.
back downback downC1
stop saying you are right or stop demanding something, because others are strongly against you
The company backed down after thousands of customers complained.
settle downsettle something downC2
become calm and quiet, or make someone calm
OK, everyone, settle down. The lesson is starting.
settle downsettle downC1
start a quieter life in one place, often with a partner
He travelled for years before he settled down.
shut downshut downC1
stop showing your feelings or talking to people (informal)
When I ask about his dad, he just shuts down.
let downlet something downC1
make something less good than it should be
The hotel was lovely, but the food let it down.
wind downwind something downC1
slowly bring an activity or business to an end
The party started to wind down around midnight.

Phrasal verbs with down that people mix up

Close in meaning, but not the same.

put down or write down?
put down: place something you are holding on a table or the floor.
write down: write something on paper so you remember it.
take down or write down?
take down: remove something from a wall or a high place, or take it apart.
write down: write something on paper so you remember it.
come down or go down?
come down: move down to a lower place, towards the speaker.
go down: move or become lower, seen from above or away.
bring down or cut down?
bring down: make something lower, like prices, costs or a temperature.
cut down: do or use less of something yourself.
bring down or let down?
bring down: make something lower, like prices, costs or a temperature.
let down: disappoint someone, a different kind of sad.
run down or wind down?
run down: lose power slowly, or make something lose power.
wind down: slowly reduce work before it stops; also relax.

Phrasal verbs with down: exercise with answers

Eight questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why.

1He _____ in the middle of his speech.
2The city _____ the club after a fight.
3Why did they take _____ her post? (remove something from a website)
4Which is correct? (slowly bring an activity or business to an end)
5The wind didn’t _____ until the next morning.
6We jumped in the lake to cool down. What does it mean here?
7Your essay is too long. Can you cut it _____? (make a text, speech or list shorter)
8Mass protests helped _____ the old regime.

Phrasal verbs with down: FAQ

How many phrasal verbs with down are there?

Dictionaries list many more, but these 25 are the ones learners meet most, with 64 meanings between them. Each has its own page with examples, common mistakes and a short quiz.

What are the most common phrasal verbs with down?

Start with the A1 and A2 ones: come down, go down, lie down, write down, sit down, slow down. Then the B1 ones, which are common in everyday conversation.

Which phrasal verbs with down are separable?

17 of them have at least one separable meaning, where the object can go in the middle: put down, take down, turn down, break down, cut down, bring down. With a pronoun like it or them, the object must go in the middle.

More phrasal verbs, by group

Or see all of them in the phrasal verbs list.

By main verb

get 19 put 11 take 10 come 15 turn 11 go 16 look 13 give 6 run 8 bring 7 fall 6 keep 6

By particle

up 65 out 55 off 24downon 22 in 21