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单词 down
释义
down1 adverb, preposition, adjectivedown2 verbdown3 noun
downdown1 /daʊn/ ●●● S1 W1 adverb, preposition, adjective Entry menu
MENU FOR downdown1 to a lower position2 in a lower place3 to lie/sit4 along5 south6 somewhere local7 river8 fastened to a surface9 less10 losing11 written12 on a list13 to later times14 paid immediately15 every part16 swallowed17 sad18 computer19 be down to somebody20 be down to somebody/something21 be down to your last pound/dollar/litre etc22 down to something/somebody23 be/go down with something24 Down with somebody/something25 be down on somebody/something26 leaving university27 completed28 down under29 Down!30 be down with somebody
Examples
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
  • Angie, why don't you sit down and relax?
  • Can I turn the TV down a little?
  • David bent down to tie his shoelace.
  • Grit and sand can wear down every moving part in your bike.
  • House prices have come down in recent months.
  • I have his number down somewhere.
  • I think I'll go and lie down for a while.
  • Keep your speed down.
  • Lease a new Ford today for no money down and low monthly payments.
  • Lots of trees were blown down onto houses when a tornado hit Cleveland County.
  • The next day, the sky was clear and the sun beat down.
  • The only thing I don't like about living down here is the traffic.
  • There's a parking lot down there, below the cliff.
  • We're going down to the mall and look at those cars they have there.
  • We've got most of the old Tarzan books down in the basement.
  • Well, we could tape the mat down with duct tape.
  • Were there many people down at the beach today?
Thesaurus
THESAURUS
not happy: · She felt sad as she waved goodbye.· a sad and lonely figure· a sad face· a sad film
sad, especially for a long time – used about people and periods of time: · I was unhappy at school.· an unhappy childhood· He’s obviously a deeply unhappy person.
[not before noun] sad because you are away from your home, family, and friends: · She sometimes felt homesick when she first arrived in Japan.
[not before noun] informal feeling sad for a few hours or days, often for no reason: · Whenever I’m feeling down, I go out and buy myself some new clothes.· She’s been kind of down since that argument with Jack.
looking or sounding sad and without hope – used about people, places, and weather: · Why are you all looking so gloomy?· the gloomy immigration office· a gloomy afternoon in February
looking sad and disappointed because something you hoped for did not happen: · ‘I didn’t pass,’ he said, looking dejected.· a downcast expression· He was understandably downcast after the team’s loss.
especially literary looking or sounding sad: · the dog’s big mournful eyes· the mournful sound of the church bell· a mournful expression
looking sad and disappointed: · Don’t look so glum! Maybe you’ll win next time.· They sat in glum silence.
especially literary looking a little sad and thoughtful, because you wish that the situation was different: · She looked at him with a wistful smile.
if something is broken, it does not work properly: · I think my watch is broken.· The camera got broken when we were on holiday.· The birds had gotten into the cabin through a broken window.· In the corner of the room were a broken chair and a rickety old desk.
[not before noun] if a machine, especially one used by the public, is out of order, it is not working for a temporary period: · Every phone I tried was out of order.· The toilets were all out of order.
[not before noun] if a computer system is down, it is not working: · The computer system was down all afternoon, so we went home.go down (=stop working): · The network went down at 11:00 and we lost the whole morning’s work.
(also on the fritz American English) [not before noun] informal if a piece of electrical equipment is on the blink, it sometimes works and sometimes does not: · My TV’s on the blink again.go on the blink/fritz: · The car’s air conditioning went on the fritz just as we reached Dallas.
used when saying that a car, machine etc does not work properly and you do not know why: · There’s something wrong with my car; I think it might be the battery.· There was something wrong with the photocopier, so we called in the service company.have something wrong with it: · If the VCR has something wrong with it, take it back to the store.
informal used when saying that a car, machine etc is completely broken and cannot be repaired: · I’m afraid the bike’s had it.
Longman Language Activatormoving down
to a lower position or place: · I told you not to climb on that table. Get down!down into/to/from etc: · He's gone down to the basement to get some more beer.· The accident happened when we were coming down off the mountain.roll/fall/jump etc down: · Tears began to roll down her cheeks.· The heat of the fire brought ceilings crashing down onto the floor.look/glance/stare etc down: · She gazed down at the ring on her finger.· The doctor glanced down at the notepad on his desk.
British also downward American moving, looking, or pointing towards a lower level or towards the ground: · We came to a path winding downwards through the trees.· He was gazing downward into the pit.
if you move, walk, drive etc downhill , you go down a slope: · We set off downhill towards the lake.· After we get to the top it'll be downhill all the way to Kendal.
British also earthward American formal down towards the ground from the sky or from a high place: · Moments later he tripped and was falling earthwards.· Flight 427 suddenly rolled and plunged earthward as it approached Pittsburgh.
going or moving towards a lower level or towards the ground: · He managed to pull himself free with a sudden downward movement of his hands.· She gave the bell-rope a swift downward tug.· The downward pressure on my chest became more intense.
if someone is lying face down , they are lying with their face on the ground or a surface: lie face down: · Douglas found her lying face down on the floor.collapse/land/fall etc face down: · She was flung violently forward, to land face down in a heap of blankets.
to go down
to go down some stairs, a ladder, a slope etc: · You go down a steep slope, then turn left at the bottom of the hill.· Right, here's the ladder. Who's going down first?go down to: · I'll go down (=downstairs) to the kitchen and get you a glass of water.
if a plane, bomb etc comes down somewhere, it comes down to the ground there, especially by accident: · Airline officials believe that the plane came down somewhere in the Andes mountains.· One of the missiles came down in a heavily populated suburb of Beirut.
to fall straight downwards through the air: · When I let go of her hand, it dropped like a stone.drop onto/from/off etc: · The bottle rolled across the table, dropped onto the floor, and smashed.· One of your buttons has dropped off.
to come down through the air from a higher place: · Just as we were about to leave the house, rain began to fall.fall from/down/on etc: · Leaves were falling from the trees.· Bombs fell on the streets, destroying neighbouring homes, but leaving the school intact.
written to go down a slope, a mountain etc slowly and carefully: · Slowly the two climbers descended the cliff face.descend into/from etc: · We descended into the cave by a rope ladder.
if a plane or a bird dives , it moves quickly down through the air: · The engine did not re-start, and the plane dived to the ground.· The hawk stopped in mid-flight before diving down on its prey.
if a plane or a bird lands , it comes down to the ground in a controlled way: · He loves watching planes take off and land at the airport.land in/on/at: · We will be landing at Singapore airport at 3 am local time.· A flock of Canada geese landed on the river in front of us.
if a plane touches down , it arrives safely on the ground at an airport but has not yet stopped moving: · The King's private plane touched down at Heathrow airport at exactly 12.15 this afternoon.· We will be touching down in about an hour's time.
when the sun goes down
if the sun goes down or sets at the end of the day, it moves downwards in the sky until it cannot be seen: · We sat on the balcony and watched the sun go down.· The sun usually sets at about 6pm at this time of year.· The setting sun cast a deep red glow over the city's rosy stone.
if the sun sinks , it goes down slowly - used especially in descriptions or stories: · The sun sank and darkness fell on the island.· As the sun sank lower and lower, the sky first turned pink and then orange.
the time when the sun goes down or the way the sun looks when it goes down: · We sat and watched the glorious sunset from across the Mekong river.at sunset (=at the time when the sun is setting): · You may prefer to sit on the terrace sipping a cocktail at sunset.
to go down under the surface of water, mud etc
to go down below the surface of water, mud, sand etc, without being able to control or prevent it: · Hundreds of passengers tried desperately to escape from the boat as it sank.sink into: · The guns sank deeper and deeper into the mud.· With the car sinking into a marsh, there wasn't a moment to spare.sink without trace (=sink and disappear completely): · There was a sucking noise, and then the branch sank without trace.
to jump down into water with your head first: · She stood at the edge of the pool waiting to dive.dive into/in: · Ralph dived into the icy water.· A woman dived in to rescue the boy.
to jump into a river, lake etc quickly, making a lot of noise: plunge into/in: · Colin plunged into the icy water.· I plunged in fully-clothed and pulled her to the river bank.
to deliberately go under the surface of water or make something do this: · Peter pulled on the mask and submerged again.submerge something in something: · elephants submerging themselves in cooling water
if a ship or person goes under , they sink below the surface of water, usually after an accident: · By the time the sea rescue service arrived, the ship had gone under.· According to the only survivor, his comrades went under one by one.
to make a plane, boat, etc go down
: sink a ship/boat/submarine etc to damage a ship, boat etc so badly that it goes under the water: · Submarines were used to sink the enemy's supply ships.· One battleship was sunk and two were badly damaged in last night's fighting.
to deliberately shoot at or damage a plane while it is flying so that it falls to the ground and crashes: shoot/bring down something: · In May 1960 the Russians shot down an American U2 spy plane.shoot/bring something down: · He followed the dive-bomber round in a very tight turn and shot it down into the sea.· One helicopter gunship had been brought down by small-arms fire.
to move something down or let it move down
if you drop something that you are holding, it suddenly falls from your hands, especially accidentally: · You've dropped your handkerchief.· Be careful not to drop that bowl, it's very valuable.drop something onto/on/in something: · I nearly dropped my glass on the floor when they said I'd won.
if you put an object down , you put it on the ground or another surface; if you put your hand, head etc down , you move it into a lower position: · Put the gun down.· OK, you can all put your hands down now.
to move an object or your body into a lower position: · We need to lower the mirror in the bathroom.lower your head/arms/body: · Lowering its head, the bull charged at him.lower something into/onto/over etc something: · The coffin was lowered slowly into the ground.lower yourself into/onto something (=sit down slowly and carefully): · The old man lowered himself wearily into his chair.
when something hangs down
· He stood very still, his arms hanging loosely, his feet apart.hang from · In the corner of the room was a large lamp, hanging from the ceiling.· The watch was on a gold chain that hung from his belt.hang down · Hold one end of the rope in your hand and let the other end hang down.hang on/under/next to etc · The keys are hanging on a nail by the door.· A picture of their parents hangs over the bedroom door.
to hang loosely, moving slightly from side to side: dangle from: · Dangling from her ears were two large gold earrings.· He dangled helplessly from the cliff, trying not to look down.dangle in/over/next to etc: · We sat on the edge of the pool with our legs dangling in the water.
to be hanging from a high position: be suspended by: · A row of hares were suspended by their feet outside the butcher's shop.be suspended from: · All sorts of artefacts were suspended from the ceiling.
to move from side to side while hanging from a higher position, or to make something do this: swing from: · A lantern swung from a hook in the roof.· A small jewelled cross swung from a gold chain around her neck.
to move down to a lower position in a list
to move down to a lower position in a list of people or things that are competing with each other: · The pound fell against the Euro again today.fall (from something) to something: · Within the space of a few minutes, the British song fell from top to bottom position.fall (by) 3 places/6 points etc: · Aston Villa fell 3 places in the league after their defeat by Barnsley.
to gradually move to a lower position in a list, competition etc: slip (from something) to something: · Mansell has now slipped to third position.· The American slipped from second place to fourth.slip down: · The team has been slipping down the league table and really needs some new players if it is to improve.
machines, cars, phones etc that do not work
if a machine or piece of equipment is not working or doesn't work , it does not do the job it is supposed to do: · The phone's not working.· Our car isn't working at the moment, so I've been taking the bus.· The elevator doesn't seem to be working - let's take the stairs.· The headlights don't work and the brakes need fixing.· This camera doesn't work - I'll have to take it back to the store.
if there is something wrong with a machine, car etc, it does not work properly, but you do not know exactly why: · There's something wrong with my car: I think it might be the battery.· There was something wrong with the photocopier, so we called in the service company.have something wrong with something: · If the VCR has something wrong with it, take it back to the store.
not working - use this especially about a small machine or a small piece of equipment: · "What's the time?" "I don't know, my watch is broken."· I think the doorbell must be broken - I didn't hear anything.· a broken dishwasher
if a machine, especially one used by the public, is out of order it is not working for a temporary period: · Every phone I tried was out of order.· The toilets are almost always out of order.
especially British if a vehicle or machine is out of action , it cannot be used at the moment because it is broken: · Three of our tanks are out of action.· These planes may be out of action for a week, just for regular maintenance.· Our washing machine's out of action at the moment, so we use the laundry down the road.
if a computer system is down , it is not working: · The computer system was down all afternoon so we went home.go down (=stop working): · The network went down at 11:00 and we lost the whole morning's work.
informal also be on the fritz American informal if a piece of electrical equipment such as a television or washing machine is on the blink or on the fritz , it sometimes works and sometimes does not: · My TV's on the blink again.go on the blink/fritz: · The car's air conditioning went on the fritz just as we reached Dallas.
informal a machine, car etc that is temperamental works some of the time but not all the time: · Jo's car is very temperamental in the mornings. Sometimes it starts and sometimes it doesn't.· The only heating was from a temperamental iron stove in the centre of each hut.
British is gone American if you say that part of a machine, especially a car, has gone or is gone , you mean that it has stopped working properly: · I'm not sure what's wrong with my car - I think the clutch has gone.· If the gearbox is gone it'll cost you a fortune.· "What's that noise?" "It sounds like the suspension's going."
if you say that a machine has had it you mean that it is completely broken and cannot be repaired: · I'm afraid the stereo's had it.
British busted especially American broken or badly damaged: · Our television's bust, and so's the radio.· There's no point in trying to mend it, it's completely bust.· You can't record anything - the VCR's busted.· a busted air-conditioner
feeling sad or unhappy for a long time
very unhappy and without any hope for a long time, and feeling that your life will never get better, sometimes so that this becomes a mental illness: · My sister's been really depressed since she lost her job.· A lot of people get depressed in the winter, when the weather's bad and there's very little sunlight.depressed about: · Greta often gets depressed about her weight.
informal unhappy, especially because something bad has happened to you and you cannot see how to make the situation better: · John's pretty low at the moment -- his business is losing money.· He's been feeling down since he failed his driving test for the fifth time.
informal feeling unhappy and not having much interest in what is happening around you, but usually in a way that is not very serious: · Mom's kind of down in the dumps at the moment -- why don't you buy her something to cheer her up?· If you're feeling down in the dumps, come over and have a chat.
informal to feel slightly sad or unhappy, because something bad has happened to you or sometimes for no particular reason: · Feeling blue? Don't know who to talk to? Phone Depression Hotline, 24 hours a day.
someone who is morose behaves in an unhappy, bad-tempered way, and does not speak much to other people: · Since the accident she's been morose and moody.· Frank was sitting alone at the table, looking morose.· Some people become morose and depressed when they first retire.
to make someone feel sad
· Something at school was making her unhappy, but she didn't want to talk about it.it makes somebody sad/unhappy to do something · It made me sad to see her looking so old and ill.
to make someone feel sad and want to cry: · I'm sorry if I upset you - I didn't mean to.· The idea of having to change school seemed to upset him more than we thought it would.it upsets somebody to do something: · Her father died when she was ten, and it still upsets her to think about it.
if a situation or event saddens someone, it makes them feel sad, especially because they think that this type of situation or event should not happen: · Everyone was saddened by the news that housing is to be built on the fields beside Cliff Lane.· Those of us who knew him are shocked and saddened by his death.it saddens somebody to do something: · Sometimes it saddened him to think that he was no longer young.it saddens somebody that : · It saddens me that there are people who go around vandalizing public places like this.
to make someone feel very sad or unhappy, especially so that they feel that only bad things happen and they cannot change the situation: · Listening to the news can really depress you, if you let it.· Shaun decided to leave. The way the others were behaving was beginning to depress him.it depresses somebody to do something: · It depressed me to think that five years ago I was earning more than I do now.
informal to gradually make someone feel unhappy and tired over a period of time: · The endless rain was beginning to get him down.· You can tell me if there's anything that's worrying you or getting you down.
to make someone very sad and upset, especially because a relationship has ended or because they are very disappointed: · When Annie left him, it broke his heart.it breaks somebody's heart (that): · It breaks my heart that his career has been ruined.it breaks somebody's heart to do something: · It would break her heart to leave the lovely old stone house where she'd lived for so long.
spoken if something is a downer , it makes you feel unhappy, especially because it is not good or successful: · I thought the movie was going to be a total downer, but it wasn't.on a downer: · The home team concluded its season on a big downer with a 2- 0 defeat.
to make someone feel very unhappy and without hope - use this especially when a bad situation is continuing and they cannot see how to change it: · There were times when the endless arguments drove him to despair.· By the time I was 17, the atmosphere at the school was driving me to despair.
to start doing something
· We can't start until Carol gets here.· I'm starting a new job next week.· Have you started that book yet? (=started reading it)start doing something · I've just started learning German.· It was getting dark so we started looking for a place to stay the night.start to do something · Halfway through the performance, she started to feel a little faint.· Outside, it was starting to rain.
to start doing something. Begin is more formal than start and is used especially in written English: · Once the children were quiet, the teacher began.· They began their holiday in Italy, and then went on to Greece.begin to do something: · More and more people are beginning to do their shopping on-line.· "What do you mean?" she said, beginning to laugh.begin doing something: · The audience suddenly began shouting and cheering.
to finally start doing something, especially work, after you have been avoiding doing it or after something has prevented you from doing it: · Come on Sam - it's time you got down to some homework.get down to to doing something: · When the summer comes, we must get down to painting the outside of the house.get down to business: · OK, can everyone take a seat now, and we'll get down to business.
to start a piece of work that will take a fairly long time: · The exam was almost over and I hadn't even started on question 3.· It was time to start on all those little jobs around the house that he'd been putting off.· We can't start on the building work until planning permission comes through.
to start a long and fairly difficult piece of work, especially in an energetic and determined way: · Philip set about the task with a great deal of energy and enthusiasm.· Why don't we set to work really early, and try to get it finished in one day?set about/set to work doing something: · If there is a serious problem, it's far better to admit it and set about tackling it.set to work to do something: · Workmen had already set to work to clear the fallen trees.set to work on something: · Once in power, the government set to work on major reforms to the tax system.
to start doing something after you have finished doing something else: · Martin marched into the shop and proceeded to hurl abuse at the girl behind the counter.· After listening carefully to my advice, she proceeded to do the exact opposite!
to start doing something after a delay or interruption that has stopped you giving it your full attention: · After lunch the children settled down to finish their science projects.settle down to to doing something: · It was two o'clock before I could finally settle down to writing the next chapter.
to suddenly start a long speech or story, especially if you are criticizing something or giving an entertaining description of something: · Annie arrived late and immediately launched into a lengthy description of the terrible traffic on the roads.· At that point the young man stood up and launched into a passionate party-political speech.
to start a large piece of work or an important activity, especially one that will be difficult or will take a long time: · In the 1950s China embarked on a massive program of industrialization and mechanization.· After leaving his office job, he embarked upon a highly successful writing career.
to gradually start to like, fear, expect etc something over a period of time: · Rowling's latest book is full of all the magic and excitement that her young readers have come to expect.· At first I thought he was a bit strange, but I grew to like and respect him over the years.· My teacher said that this wasn't the kind of work that she'd come to expect of me.
spoken informal to start doing something immediately, because you are in a hurry or there is a lot to do: · Come on! - get cracking. I want this whole house clean by the time I get back.· You'd better get cracking if you want to get to the airport by ten.
WORD SETS
AA, nounacademia, nounacademic, adjectiveacademic, nounacademy, nounalum, nounalumna, nounalumni, nounalumnus, nounassistant professor, nounAssociate of Arts, nounassociate professor, nounaudit, verbBA, nounbachelor's degree, nounBig Man on Campus, nounblue book, nounbrother, nounBSc, nounbursar, nounbursary, nouncampus, nounCantab, chair, nounchancellery, nounchancellor, nounclass, nouncoed, nouncommencement, nouncommunity college, nounconservatoire, nounconservatory, nounconvocation, nouncourse, nouncredit, nouncum laude, adverbdean, noundean's list, noundiploma, noundissertation, noundoctor, noundoctoral, adjectivedoctorate, nounDoctor of Philosophy, noundon, noundorm, noundormitory, noundouble first, noundown, adverbelective, nounexaminer, nounextension, nounextramural, adjectivefaculty, nounfinancial aid, nounfirst class, noungrad, noungrad school, noungraduate, noungraduate, verbgraduate, adjectivegraduate school, noungraduation, nounGRE, nounGreek, nounhall, nounhall of residence, nounhaze, verbhigher education, nounhomecoming, nounhonor roll, nounhonours degree, nounintercollegiate, adjectiveintramural, adjectiveIvy League, the, adjectivejoint honours, nounjunior college, nounlectureship, nounLLB, nounLLD, nounLLM, nounMA, nounmagna cum laude, adjectivemajor, nounMaster of Arts, nounMaster of Science, nounmaster's, nounmaster's degree, nounmatriculate, verbmature student, nounMBA, nounMEd, nounmedic, nounmedical school, nounMFA, nounmidterm, nounMilitary Academy, nounminor, nounMLitt, nounmortarboard, nounMPhil, nounM.Sc., nounOpen University, the, option, nounoral, nounOxbridge, nounPhD, nounPhi Beta Kappa, nounpledge, nounpledge, verbpoly, nounpolytechnic, nounpost doctoral, adjectivepost-grad, nounpostgraduate, nounpostgraduate, adjectivepractical, nounprof, nounprofessor, nounprofessorial, adjectiveprofessorship, nounProvost, nounqualified, adjectivequarter, nounrag, nounread, verbreadership, nounredbrick, adjectiverush, verbrush, nounsandwich course, nounschool, nounsemester, nounseminar, nounseminary, nounsenate, nounsenior, nounsingle honours, nounsophomore, nounsorority, nounspring break, nounstate university, nounstudent union, nounsubject, nounsumma cum laude, adverbsummer school, nounsurvey course, nounsyllabus, nountech, nountechnical college, nountenure, nountermly, adjectivetertiary education, nountheological college, nounthesis, nounthird, nounthird class, nountutor, nountutorial, nountutorial, adjective2.1, nountwo-two, nounU., undergraduate, noununi, nounUniv., university, nounupperclassman, nounupperclasswoman, nounvac, nounvacation, nounvarsity, nounvice-chancellor, nounvisiting professor, noun
Collocations
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY
 Ken fell asleep face down (=with his face towards the ground) on the couch.
 Swindon were six points down at one stage.
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES
(=it stops working)
(=not give permission for a decision to be changed)· The taxpayer's appeal was dismissed and the penalty upheld.
(=say no to an application)· Their planning application was rejected because of a lack of parking facilities.
(=do something very well) I’ve got the early morning routine down to a fine art.
· Most companies have broken down the old barriers of status among the workers.
(=beat someone very easily)· He should be able to beat them all hands down.
(=it suddenly flies down)· The bird swoops down on its prey.
 The sun blazed down as we walked along the valley.
 Blow me down if she didn’t just run off!
 The boat bobbed gently up and down on the water.
 Stop bouncing up and down on the sofa.
 Come, let us bow down in worship.
· All the medieval buildings were torn down.
 Rose fell, landing with a bump.
 It took months for things to calm down after we had the baby.
· The car slowed down and stopped outside our house.
(=stops working because something is wrong with it)· On the way home on the motorway the car broke down.
 She blushed, casting her eyes down.
(=not accept or use an opportunity)· Imagine throwing up a chance to go to America!
 There was something in his tone that sent a chill down Melissa’s spine (=made her very frightened).
(=create one)· The syndicate decided to draw up a code of conduct for its members.
(also go down with a cold British English) informal (=catch one)· A lot of people go down with colds at this time of year.
 We need to come down hard on young offenders.
 I made the mistake of answering back, and she came down on me like a ton of bricks (=very severely).
 It all comes down to money in the end.
(=leave it)· Everyone was sorry when he stood down from the committee.
(=close the programs and stop it working)
(=is not working)
(=say what someone must agree to)· They laid down certain conditions before agreeing to the ceasefire.
· Coal consumption has fallen dramatically.
· If you go later in the year, it will bring down the cost of your holiday.
· Airline costs have fallen considerably.
British English (=to arrange to officially join a course)· How about enrolling on a sailing course?
 The police are cracking down hard on violent crime.
 A large branch came crashing down.
· A muddy ditch ran along the side of the field.
 We’ve almost got enough money to make a down payment on a house.
 Don’t let them drag you down to their level.
 The tobacco companies got a severe dressing-down.
(=drink it very quickly)· He downed his drink and stood up.
· The US economy is slowing down after a long period of growth.
(=be respected or admired more or less by someone)
(=people stop feeling excited)· The excitement after last month's elections is beginning to die down.
· The factory was closed down in 2006.
 The local authority is falling down on the job of keeping the streets clean.
 The boats were drifting farther and farther apart. a resort town farther up the coast
(=it burns less strongly)· The fire slowly died down.
(=burns less strongly)· By evening, the flames had gradually died down.
 She flushed the rest of her drink down the toilet.
(also the fog descends literary) (=it appears)· Day after day the fog came down.
 The effect will be to increase unemployment and force down wages.
· The forest was cut down to make way for housing.
 It might be a sign, much further down the road (=in the future), of a change in policy.
· Native Australians hand down stories and songs from generation to generation.
 Spending has gone down by 2%.
 The speech went down a treat with members (=members liked it very much).
 The idea went down like a lead balloon (=was not popular or successful).
 The carnival will go down in history (=be remembered for many years) as one of the best ever.
(=force it to lose power)· It was a major scandal that nearly brought down the government.
 Our book lays down the ground rules for building a patio successfully.
· Can you turn the heating down a bit?
· It's best to use a low gear when you are going down steep hills.
(=be remembered for many years)· She will go down in history as one of the greatest tennis players of all time.
· Average income fell by one third during this period.
· The government has promised to reduce inflation to 3%.· The government's top priority is to get inflation down to 2%.
(=keep it at a low level)· These policies will help to keep inflation down.
(also decline an invitation formal)· She turned down an invitation to take part in a televised debate.
(=keep a job)· He had never been able to hold down a job.
 Fans were jumping up and down (=jumping repeatedly) and cheering.
 The cats jumped down and came to meet us.
 Keep your voice down – she’ll hear you!
 Can you keep it down – I’m trying to work.
· He climbed the ladder up to the diving platform.
· Be careful going down the ladder!
· Dickson came up the ladder from the engine room.
· He leaned back in his chair and laughed till the tears ran down his face.
(=stops)· The laughter died instantly as Robert walked in.
 The terrorists were urged to lay down their arms.
 They are just about to start laying down tracks for their second album.
 She had been let down badly in the past.
British English (=disappoint a group of people that you belong to)
· Pollution levels have fallen slightly.
 I’m going upstairs to have a lie down.
(=die in order to save other people, or because of a strong belief)· These men gave their lives during the war to keep us free.
 There should be more direct discussion between managers and workers lower down the line.
 She pulled her hat low down over her eyes.
 There was a hole low down in the hedge.
(=ends because of disagreements)· Liz’s marriage broke up after only eight months.
(=comes to a place)· The mist came down like a curtain.
 I guess I’ll mosey on down to the store now.
· He was driving along the motorway at a steady sixty miles an hour.
· She lost her way as she went down the mountain.
(=stop because of disagreement)· The negotiations broke down over a dispute about working conditions.
 Let’s get down to the nitty-gritty and work out the costs.
(=write them down quickly)· The jurors were scribbling notes as the witness gave evidence.
· The number of new houses being built is falling steadily.
(=say no to it)· She declined the offer of a lift.
 I found Mark at the hospital, pacing restlessly up and down.
(=a small payment for something you are buying, when you will pay the rest later)· We were able to put a down payment on an apartment.
 It’s pelting down out there.
 She’s down to her last penny.
· I only remembered his name after I had put the phone down.
(=put it down hard, because you are angry)· I was so mad I just slammed the phone down.
· She sat down at the piano and began to play.
 The flavour was hard to pin down.
 Dad first went down the pit (=worked in a coal mine) when he was 15 years old.
(=lands safely on the ground)· As soon as the plane touched down on the runway, I felt better.
(=land it)· He ran out of fuel and had to bring the plane down on a road leading to the village.
· The guerrillas shot down an Israeli fighter plane.
 The White House spokeswoman sought to play down the significance of the event.
(=put it somewhere to kill an animal)· One way of getting rid of rats or mice is to put poison down.
· In real terms, the price of clothes has fallen over the last ten years.
(=describe a principle and make it accepted)· The report lays down general principles for the teaching of English.
· Pre-tax profits were up 21.5%.
· I think the quality has gone down over the years.
(=make it quieter or louder)· Can you turn your radio down a bit?
(=it falls)· If the rain starts coming down, we can always go inside.· The monsoon rain comes down in sheets.
(=a lot of rain comes down)· The rain was pouring down and I was quickly soaked.
(=it comes down fast)· The rain was now pelting down.
(also the rate falls/decreases more formal)· We are expecting unemployment rates to fall.
(=end it by force)· Troops moved in to suppress the rebellion.
· Initially, his resignation was rejected.· He offered his resignation but it was turned down by the prime minister.
(=end it by force)· The Russians speedily crushed the revolt.
(=become lower)· European sales have fallen by 12%.
· Bonuses are not paid to people lower down the salary scale.
· Some farmers prospered and moved up the social scale.
(=officially give someone a sentence)· The judge imposed a three-year sentence.
(=their value decreases)· Shares fell sharply on the London Stock Market yesterday.
 I tried to help, but all my suggestions were shot down in flames, as usual.
 The war has split the nation in two.
· The government sets standards that all hospitals must reach.
 Protection for the consumer is laid down by statute (=established by law).
 Terry stripped down to her bra and pants (=removed all her clothes except her bra and pants) and tried on the dress.
(=say that your success was the result of it)· They put their success down to their excellent teamwork.
informal (=suit someone very well)· Country life suits you down to the ground.
(=shines with a lot of light and heat)· The sun beats down on us as we work.
(=disappears at the end of the day)· It is a good place to sit and watch the sun go down.
· If your immune system breaks down, you will be vulnerable to infections.
· An alarm sounds a warning before the system breaks down.
(=stop because of disagreement)· Talks broke down today between the Russian and Japanese delegations.
(=suddenly start crying)· I broke down in tears when I read the letter.
· Oliver laughed until tears ran down his face.
· Before he could respond, she’d put down the telephone.
(=make it louder or quieter)· Rory had turned the television up so loud that the people next door complained.
 Her performance got the thumbs down from the critics.
 Josie’s already turned him down (=refused his offer of marriage).
· The government is spending more on projects to cut unemployment.
(=look at someone in order to judge their appearance or character) Maisie looked her rival up and down with a critical eye.
· There is a risk that the shares may fall in value.
(=not speak loudly)· Keep your voice down, they’ll hear you!
 Can you turn the volume up?
(=in the top or bottom half of your body) Lota was paralysed from the waist down.
 a watered-down version of the original
(=start crying)· As she watched his plane taxi away, she broke down and wept.
(=become thinner or stay thin)· How can I keep my weight down?
(=very easily or by a large amount)· Everyone expected Sam to win hands down.
(=becomes less strong)· The wind had dropped a little.
(=open or shut the window in a car)· Lucy rolled the window down and waved to him.
(=start work)· They set to work cutting down trees and brushwood.
 Brenda jumped in the car and zoomed off.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSVERB
· Now I can walk up hill without puffing and can bend down without grunting.· After Primo bends down and scratches her head, she walks over to the mailman and sniffs his foot.· Then he glides across to the other side of the room and bends down.· He bends down, picks up a small rock and throws it at the Hotelito.· In most cases it will be easier to groom the dog on a table, as this saves having to bend down.· If he or she asks you to pick something up, assert yourself or defuse the situation but don't bend down.· He was seen to bend down at two drains near his home.
· Mr Honecker is up a pole and all the ladders offered him to climb down would be an admission of failure.· I went across to Nina and asked her to climb down.· Murphy climbed down and opened the door for her.· I then start to climb down.· They have false floors, so beware, it is very dangerous to climb down into them!· She climbed down the dune and walked towards him.· The coachman climbed down slowly and held up both hands.
· The study doors are those that face one as one comes down the great staircase.· When he died, the widow came down here once to sign the papers when the place was sold.· But this is what it comes down to.· Maybe, but the once pricey products that use this satellite technology have come down to earth.· Gentle probing brought deflection, anything stronger and the barriers came down.· Already dusk was coming down hard.· Nine priests came down from Oxford and tried to lay the troubled soul to rest in a nearby pool.· I shoot baskets and I see a car coming down.
· He is a natural opener, and Paul Terry has dropped down the order to accommodate him.· Horses and mules dropped down dead, exhausted with the effort to move their loads through the hideous medium.· Trent dropped down into the galley and took his time searching out a tin of ginger biscuits.· Key dropped down for a sidearm fastball with two strikes, but he left it up around the chin.· Just the thing to stop you from dropping down dead after strutting your stuff to the latest chart topper!· Song or no song, he had dropped down on the bed beside her and put his hand over hers.· Then, on the second day, we dropped down into the lowest part of the crater to reach the hot springs.· Then he dropped down, and was evidently reloading his piece.
· These had perhaps once been outhouses which had long ago fallen down.· If he remembered correctly one simply blanked out and fell down.· On the way into the office she fell down a flight of stairs and was injured.· They are way too big for meso big that every time I try to walk in them, I fall down.· His thick brown hair fell down the sides of his face.· Jim Kohler, 74, who runs the league, said Impastato fell down more than once while running the bases.· She had been descending the stairs when she'd slipped and had fallen down numerous steps.· The attorney general is supposed to act only when the law enforcement is falling down or broken down in a local community.
· He glanced down at the amount.· He glanced down at his tally.· As he moved past the man's shoulder on his way back, Harry could not help glancing down at the book.· I looked up at him as suddenly as if he had spoken to me, and he glanced down and nodded.· Ianthe was surprised not to fed the usual pang of nostalgia as she glanced down towards Westminster Cathedral.· I glanced down to see that a well-aimed egg had turned my blouse into an ugly mess.· Jean-Paul glanced down at his own suit, which was too tight for him, and damned uncomfortable.
· The sun was going down and it was in a warm twilight that they reached the summit of their climb.· Meanwhile, economists argue about whether the true cost of healthcare has even gone down under managed care.· I became paralysed, unable to go down or up.· My shield went down to block it.· I fish such a bait on a 14 hook, or go down to a 16 if the bream are being finicky.· We saw all that go down.· The others went down, and he removed the back ups before following on himself.· Several of them said they expect that insurance premiums will go down as the number of policyholders goes up.
· Your dislike for Maman was handed down to me, wasn't it?· In 1969, the U. S. Supreme Court handed down a historic decision that challenged the reasonableness test.· Serious offences such as murder are tried by juries in crown courts, which have powers to hand down heavier sentences.· The beauty of Cecilia Druitt was handed down to all the daughters of the family generation to generation.· Meanwhile work on full employment policy had been handed down by the politicians to a committee of officials.· The verdict was handed down on a Saturday.· The following judgments were handed down.· These skills are handed down from mother to daughter through the generations.
· They may be held down with scotch tape.· But this was not a night when Weinke was going to be held down for long by the Gators.· His existence had been particularly dull, holding down brief part-time work selling clothes in Manchester's underground fashion world.· Even the increase proposed will put pressure on Congress to hold down other spending or dip into funds earmarked for Social Security.· Celia came down holding the baby, who had gone blue and stopped breathing.· Robert Crehan claims he was held down as the body building star repeatedly kicked him.· Frye was expounding on the dangers of holding down a job while taking a full load of courses.
· He died in Florence 26 December 1924, after being knocked down by a motor vehicle in London.· Lane was running when he was knocked down, and continued to churn forward.· In the end McGuigan battled through 15 rounds, and was knocked down twice, before losing on points.· Out of principle, Free Trade, Reaganomics, etc., the whole industry was knocked down with a loud whoosh.· The ones she had just knocked down were on their feet again, hopping on the steps around her.· If the round could knock down the target, it could knock down a man.· Fifteen seconds earlier he had been knocked down and lay on the canvas as the referee counted just short of a knockout.· Dunaway has been knocked down, at times, in her career.
· A shift in the weather pattern, bringing low pressure systems across the Alps in December laid down a firm base.· Cook for them thirty years and lay down and die.· Then she lay down to rest in the lounge, surrounded by other women who even here never stopped talking.· Then he closed the window, lay down in the center of the floor, and went to sleep.· To reduce costs some firms lay down eligibility criteria for relocation assistance.· Jinju quickly moved away from the window and lay down on the kang, pulling the covers up over her head.· She laid down her Cosmopolitan magazine, open at fashions, loose flowing shirts in jewel colours.· Once priorities had been decided, the usual and almost invariable conditions were laid down.
· The doorway leading down is narrow and jammed with kids.· The road now led down a gully so steep that Jim Yellow Earring was thrown forward.· Descent: Traverse leftwards until easy ground leads down to the road.· Then they walked to the head of the narrow stairway that led down to the street.· It took Miguel a while before he found the stairs leading down to the basement.· He knew the feel of every cold stone step on the wide staircase leading down to the main hall.
· It was cold and the man's dogs lay down to rest and stay warm.· Lee Ann took all her clothes off and lay down to sun herself on the flying bridge.· I lay down on the ground and looked through the windows, right into the King's rooms.· Some one like you is likely to lie down in the street and starve to death.· She lay down and a sweet slumber came.· I went back up to my room and lay down on the bed.· Tiberi did not take Alliot-Marie's move lying down.· Like the stomach surgeon, a psychiatrist can make all sorts of basic assumptions when a patient lies down on the couch.
· He smiled as he looked down at her and answered her quick, light speech with conscientious gentleness.· After all, he is a member of an elite media establishment that both fears and looks down on the talk phenomenon.· Philip knew he was looking at him but Philip kept looking down.· But this was not a night for Lewis to look down upon the vanquished.· Amin, at his full height, looked down at me closely.· I looked down at my keyboard and noticed the spacebar of this high-tech machine was stuck.· Still looking down, it seemed as if the pattern of squares was moving.
· She had moved down to London and lived in squats.· Now they had turned into Chinatown, and were moving down its narrow, teeming gullies, under strings of paper flowers.· I was met by a slow but very solid resistance moving down the far bank.· Sometimes, these cold snaps and sudden snows move down towards the tropical South.· He moved down the trench and found a ladder.· Slowly she moves down his body.· I guess this locks the transfer needle, stopping it moving down and damaging itself.· When she could no longer manage the stairs, she moved down to a ground-floor apartment.
· Although we will clarify it in the course of this study, multimedia is hard to pin down to a rigid definition.· But resistance which is both group-based and informal can be very difficult for management to pin down.· We were pinned down and taking a real hammering.· It is telling that economists have so far found the precise productivity benefits of information technology difficult to pin down and measure.· Moreover, any attempt to pin down precisely the behavior of 200 these tiny things turns out strangely counterproductive.· But his policy positions, as far as they can be pinned down, seem designed to offend almost everybody.· An explanation from Lipsey for his withdrawal Friday has been hard to pin down.
· The original bricks and mortar might be pulled down but Leatherslade Farm will remain for ever at the centre of the legend.· Soon the regulars had him caught inside two croaker sacks pulled down over his torso.· Would you mind pulling down the blinds?· The pulling down of the right sheath, the ripping sound always convinced her it hurt.· If the inquiry rules that the paths must remain, then the clubhouse may have to be pulled down.· He slammed the door shut behind him and pulled down a tattered green shade.· Tilting the head back, aiming accurately and pulling down the lower lid were other areas of difficulty.· All the large houses have been pulled down, or taken over as nursing homes.
· They put down sawdust but had insufficient to deal with the flooding to all areas of the factory.· She put down her basket and advanced towards the bed.· In contrast, trust is like the precious soil in which a relationship can grow and put down secure roots.· They like being flattered, or congratulated, or encouraged: they certainly do not like being put down.· Mrs Field summoned the vet immediately, who said it was in a hopeless condition and should be put down at once.· Because he painted so well, put down what he saw, people would admire him.
· I find this a powerful image-the Divine reaching down, humanity reaching upward.· My lover goes to the fridge and reaches down.· Mum got me to reach down a tall vase from the mantelshelf.· She reached down between her legs, where he was, and put him inside her again.· He reached down, found his field bag - and saw the feet behind him.· He reached down and scratched Bone behind the ears.· The General reached down and took the little bouquet.
· Tears rolling down her face, she turned on the taps.· It will be the one flying into Jacksonville with the windows rolled down.· Mickey had a ramp with pea sized objects rolling down to be dealt a mighty blow from a spring loaded mallet.· She was wearing a loose print dress and stockings that were rolled down below the knee.· Soon it would roll down his nose, and then what?· He smiled, sensing an odd happiness welling up in her, even though tears began to roll down her cheeks.· It was as tall and cold as a glacier rolling down a valley, crunching trees like matchsticks.· Suds were rolling down her face and were on her shoulders.
· Then he was running down the office, howling like a bereaved dog.· A trickle of juice ran down her arm.· As the railways run down and maintenance gets neglected, they keep going wrong: the steam-heating in particular.· Trickles of blood like lava seen at night run down my body.· Champagne and blood ran down the wall.· It is a relatively easy run down if we start early in the morning.· With his unkempt ginger hair running down into sideboards it made his hard face look even meaner.· Ruth went out of the house and ran down the steep moorland path all the way to Ilkley.
· I handed the flask to Keith and sat down on the bed.· Finally my wife, Fran, and I sat down to figure out where the money was going.· Ben went slowly to the big table and sat down.· Cameron and the school district sit down with a neutral third person to negotiate an agreement that both sides find acceptable.· Then I turned the podium over to Brian and sat down.· At two o'clock I should like to sit down at table.· My sister-in-law made a spread, and the three battered travelers sat down to eat.
· Ten minutes later Doctor Jekyll had returned to his own shape and was sitting down, pretending to eat breakfast.· Then she returned, not sitting down.· This makes it very easy to put on and take off, even when the patient is sitting down.· Even sitting down I found myself grabbing the edge of the table to stop falling off the chair.· It's really good for sitting down with a meal and just forgetting about work.· He was standing up, or sitting down, or lurking in the locker room for both.· She's probably sitting down in one of the cloakrooms.· I remember sitting down at my desk with a sudden sense of dread.
· The cab separated from the trailer which turned over on its side, sliding down the slope.· Yet statistics that show voter turnout slowly sliding down, down.· He managed to murmur Mayli's name, then closed his eyes and slid down to the floor.· He slid down on his spine so he could rest his head on the back of the seat.· The voices above stopped arguing, as Cardiff slid down the rail, exhausted and gasping for breath.· She bit her lip as two large tears slid down her cheeks.· Katherine could feel his anguish, and for the second time that day the tears slid down her cheeks.· The compost slides down in the tank and appears when ready in the access area at the base of the tank.
· Expect cautious underspending in the first six months while trends are analysed; slowing down the devolution of budgets.· We all slow down a little bit.· When spending power goes up relatively quickly the long-term growth in property crime slows down.· When food goes back into the refrigerator, growth begins to slow down, but only as the food chills.· Staff turnover had traditionally been high but has slowed down more recently.· The third time he took chromium, he felt his thought processes slowing down.· He looked around him as he went; but he did not slow down much until he reached the culvert.· For how else could it be that he never had to slow down or speed up?
· He knew Ellen was with her and was perfectly capable of tracking down their whereabouts.· Yet he would certainly be tracked down if he tried anything else and that would threaten the larger enterprise.· He tracks down relatives of those who died of Aids early in the epidemic.· Another company had difficulty in tracking down specialised research work, what there is and how to get a copy.· All these problems seem to have made the criminal personality difficult to track down.· It shouldn't be too difficult to track down.· Information is still hard to track down and reaches the classroom level in a fragmented and patchy way.· The cause was eventually tracked down to a previously unknown bacterium, given the name Legionella pneumophila.
· C., can you walk down the street and bump into a row of newspaper boxes half a block long?· He walks down the Stroud Green Road, past the halal shops and the yam shops.· I walked down a corridor and went through another door.· Leaving his personal belongings in the room he walks down to enjoy a good breakfast before continuing his journey.· You can walk down the street, raise your family, earn a living.· Graham and Slater walked down the narrow alley formed by the seedy, decaying stonework and the painted wood.
· Its prime target is an audience of decision makers whose names you can write down on a single sheet of paper.· He commenced to carry round a notebook and write down what we said.· It was later written down in two books called the Mishnah and the Talmud.· Alas, since such passwords are also difficult to remember, they tend to be written down near the computer.· Sit and write down what you like or love in life and then what you want to change.· The night after that assembly I began to write down goals for myself.· It is a method to write down a language which is commonly confused with the language itself.· Now, as I write down this little memoir of my golfing adventure, I remember.
Phrases
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRY
  • A few students had left; the class was down to twelve or thirteen.
  • Attendances were down to one million per week.
  • By 1970, about 20 percent of the land in cultivation was down to export crops.
  • By his calculations he was down to $ 12, 006.
  • Her garters were down to her ankles.
  • However, monthly inflation, which had reached 123 percent in February, was down to 5 percent by May-June.
  • Of course, much of this is down to familiarity - knowing where the goal posts are.
  • A few students had left; the class was down to twelve or thirteen.
  • Attendances were down to one million per week.
  • By his calculations he was down to $ 12, 006.
  • Her garters were down to her ankles.
  • However, monthly inflation, which had reached 123 percent in February, was down to 5 percent by May-June.
  • Of course, much of this is down to familiarity - knowing where the goal posts are.
  • Say it was down to fifty.
► be down to your last pound/dollar/litre etc► down to something/somebody
  • I was having a really hard time and I went down with Isabel and my dad.
  • I went down with nothing but a. 45-caliber pistol and a flashlight.
  • Looking back, it seemed inevitable that Evelyn would go down with some sort of psychological trouble.
  • Mr Black paid them off on all the equipment which went down with it, but which I know was not destroyed.
  • Outside linebacker Mike Morton, making his first start since Rob Fredrickson went down with season-ending shoulder surgery, had eight tackles.
  • There was a sudden space when the man at Riven's shoulder went down with a cry.
  • These kids are 13, 14, and they wan na be down with somethin'.
  • Who knows what went down with them?
► Down with somebody/something
  • At the half-year stage profits are expected to be down on last year - around £35m against £39m.
  • Constable Collins liked shrimp and often bought a tub of them when he was down on the Front.
  • Copper producers were down on a drop in copper prices.
  • Families that were down on their luck could get a small loan, food, a job referral.
  • He was down on the shore, a shadow edged with silver light, combing the tide line.
  • It wasn't that money was being stolen or sneaked - everything was down on paper.
  • Ten minutes later I was down on the private beach.
► down under► Down!
  • All the senior police officers were down with flu - so the Chief Constable asked for his aid.
  • By the time I jumped back inside he looked like he was down with flu.
  • These kids are 13, 14, and they wan na be down with somethin'.
  • When they arrived, they were told that Mahdi was down with the flu.
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
  • As she walked down the aisle her heart brimmed over with love and adoration for Charles.
  • He wanted to walk down the aisle with you and give you away to your young man.
  • Her mouth turned up at the corners, Mavis walked down the aisle with Walter.
  • Inspector Miskin was walking down the aisle.
  • Resplendent in red, she walks down the aisle on the arm of the Rev.
  • The wedding was off, because no way was she going to walk down the aisle looking like an eejit!
  • They looked at the passports and then started to walk down the aisle, pointing their guns at the passengers.
  • Together, they walked down the aisle behind the crucifix, toward the rear of the church.
  • The job sounds right up your alley.
  • She said, I will tell you this Bobby Kennedy is right up my alley.
  • Businesses are focused on survival - everyone's battening down the hatches.
  • A stillness which seemed to bear down on her like a physical presence.
  • Five or six men, horsed, masked and well-armed, burst from a clump of trees and bore down on them.
  • For those who find Christmas suddenly bearing down on them, the build-up to the day is one blur of activity.
  • His eyes bore down on me out of a somewhat hawklike face, and I immediately became flustered.
  • Meanwhile, the New Zealand Interislander Ferry is bearing down on us like a 350-foot long, 40-foot tall aquatic freight train.
  • The Pequod bears down on the area and comes between the whale and the floundering seamen.
  • These thoughts bear down on me as I sit here on this third night of writing.
  • Yussuf bore down on her in a fury.
► beat the door down
  • I beat him down and got the bracelet for $2.
  • The owners originally wanted $1000 for the horse, but George managed to beat them down to $850.
► beat somebody ↔ down► bed somebody/something ↔ down
  • In the end, the case will boil down to whether the jury believes Smith or not.
  • But by any measure, the Republican presidential campaign right now boils down to Dole and Forbes.
  • Honestly, it does all just boil down to the need to learn something.
  • It boils down to whether you think the extra features and quality are worth the extra money.
  • Love boils down to pheromones, it says.
  • Tackling these more stubborn obstacles will boil down to better schools and plain old dollars and cents.
  • The Grid boils down to only five behaviour patterns - the four extremes and the middle one.
  • The real problem boils down to identifying the nature of the problem itself.
  • To Smolan, the decision to leave so late in the game boiled down to quality.
► boil something ↔ down
  • And bowed down to resume his strange rump-in-the-air and face-in-the-sea posture.
  • Let peoples serve you, and nations bow down to you.
► get down to brass tacks► break something ↔ down► break something ↔ down► break something ↔ down
  • I'm already really busy today, and now Paul's breathing down my neck saying he wants the Paris deal completed.
  • I can't work with you breathing down my neck.
  • We'd better start sending out those letters soon -- I've had the sales manager breathing down my neck about it all week.
  • He would be breathing down your neck all the time.
  • Labour and the Liberal Democrats are breathing down his neck.
  • Maybe the Assistant Commissioner's wife was breathing down Maxham's neck.
  • The staff is breathing down your neck.
  • Give me a couple of minutes, will you? Brush yourself down while you're waiting.
► cash down► catch somebody with their pants/trousers down
  • When the chips were down, you felt he could handle the situation.
  • As you know, when the chips are down Leslie Bence comes out fighting.
  • It is disappointing to find that, when the chips are down, your paper is no better than the rest.
  • The implication, they fear, is that when the chips are down it is only rational human beings that really matter.
  • Outside it was chucking it down and the streets were deserted.
► close something ↔ down
  • I came down on the side of tax reform.
  • I have been criticised for coming down on the side of the second alternative.
  • Sheer orders of magnitude matter, and the orders of magnitude do not come down on the side of the real-balance effect.
  • We have to come down on the side of the snowy plover.
► be counting (down) the minutes/hours/days
  • Now I think we should bring down the curtain on this little episode, and go to bed.
► cut something ↔ down► cut somebody ↔ down► cut something ↔ down
  • The team wants to cut UCLA down to size.
  • History thus cuts man down to size by reminding him of his origins: its characteristic insight is hindsight.
  • Josh would soon cut Hank down to size.
  • To cut you down to size.
  • When the time came, he would cut him down to size.
  • Deep down, I think she's really very ambitious.
  • He pretends he doesn't care, but deep down I know he's very upset.
  • I always believed deep down that things would get better.
  • I kept pushing the team, but deep down I think I knew we wouldn't win.
  • I regret my divorce, because deep down I'm a very old-fashioned woman.
  • Yeah, sometimes he can be really nice and polite but, I tell you, deep down he's an animal!
  • Across the world, or two doors down the corridor.
  • Freda Berkeley misses her and another neighbour, the writer Patrick Kinross, who lived two doors away.
  • He thanked the colonel for the interview and returned doggedly to his pistol lessons in the basement range two doors away.
  • He tried the house opposite, and was told two doors down.
  • I took the keenest pleasure in expelling Phetlock from my old office, two doors down from the Oval.
  • Mr Potts and the matrons left them in the church and went to stay two doors away, in a hotel.
  • The guest room's two doors down the corridor.
  • The second was in another bin beside the Argos showroom two doors away.
  • Well, there's another fifty dollars down the drain.
  • And she would die in the bathtub, her blood going down the drain.
  • Dietitians responded by telling cooks to dump yolks down the drain and use the cholesterol-free whites.
  • It foreclosed on the mortgages, and the mill went down the drain.
  • It may help to twist drain rods when pushing them down the drain.
  • Male speaker I fear that safety standards will go down the drain as people seek to make most profit.
  • Pour it down the drains if necessary.
  • There are fears of family life going down the drain, as staff may get only two complete weekends off in seven.
  • You might as well take money and shovel it down the drain.
► dress somebody ↔ down
  • If you're feeling down in the dumps, come over and have a chat.
  • Mom's kind of down in the dumps at the moment -- why don't you buy her something to cheer her up?
  • But his company is still down in the dumps.
  • She supposed she was feeling a bit down in the dumps, apprehensive too about celebrating Christmas Day at the Danbys.
  • We can't have you down in the dumps like this.
  • You sound pretty down in the dumps.
  • Adai can come back to Earth after Gog is dead - after I am dead, perhaps.
  • AIr travellers came down to earth with a bump yesterday when they joined in some charity aerobics.
  • In Karuzi you quickly come down to earth.
  • Maybe, but the once pricey products that use this satellite technology have come down to earth.
  • Peter Lilley came down to earth.
  • They recently have come down to Earth.
  • A man lay face down, feet toward the center, head away from it.
  • Gently, he brought his face down on to Joe's and kissed him on his lips.
  • I set my book face down on the chair and followed after him.
  • I was lying face down on the ground.
  • Larry Flynt presents the infamous pornographer as a likable slob who faced down the big guys and won.
  • On return to Earth the orbiter orients itself so that the underside is facing down and slightly forwards.
  • Side by side, the two men lay face down in the grass, feet toward the rear of the pale car.
  • Her nappy was so wet it was falling down her legs.
  • It is not that they are falling down drunk at. 08.
  • Something, or some one, was falling down the hillside.
  • Technically he is excellent but you have noticed that he is falling down on the supervisory aspects of his job.
  • The attorney general is supposed to act only when the law enforcement is falling down or broken down in a local community.
  • The house is falling down around our ears.
  • There was a long pause, then, before it observed that some-thing was falling down toward it from the orbiting ship.
  • They liked us at first because they thought we would like be falling down glad to have them as neighbors.
► get something down to a fine art
  • Ed was talking about dropping out of school, but Mom and Dad put their foot down.
  • I wanted to take a year off before college, but my mother put her foot down.
  • You'd better put your foot down before those kids get completely out of control.
  • I put my feet down carefully.
  • I put my foot down and the car began to move forward.
  • Justice puts its foot down on Oxie.
  • Later still My silly wee sister has put her feet down and refuses to let me near her Power Pack.
  • Rice, however, put his foot down and made what he called his first policy decision.
  • She didn't answer, just put her foot down and sent the Cortina faster and faster through the night.
  • They could have put their foot down and dragged us into court.
  • We were nearing the camp, so I aimed for the ruts in the track and put my foot down.
  • At this point Morag Harkness, Sales Manager threw down the gauntlet and challenged the guys to a netball match.
  • Cerda interviewed those named in his testimony, including Wally Fuentes Morrison, and then threw down the gauntlet to Pinochet.
  • Fresh from their success they have thrown down the gauntlet to the rest of the Group.
  • It's going on five years since Earl Woods threw down the gauntlet and the snickering has stopped.
  • The endless rain was beginning to get him down.
  • You can tell me if there's anything that's worrying you or getting you down.
► get something ↔ down► get something down (somebody)
  • It went down a treat with the matrons in safe seats like South-west Surrey.
  • It seems to be going down a treat.
  • We went down the shops on Saturdays.
  • Chat rooms on the Internet are a place we can let our hair down and say what we think.
  • I spotted Juanita really letting her hair down on the dance floor.
  • Playing softball is just a good way to let your hair down and have fun.
  • You can really let your hair down and do what you want at the club.
  • Among the many booksellers and publishers whom I spotted letting their hair down on the dance floor was independent publisher Christopher Hurst.
  • He liked this: what his pub was all about, for people to let their hair down.
  • In the second half Complicite let their hair down in their own inimitable way.
  • Man's got ta let his hair down.
  • Out in the pasture, the princess let her hair down.
  • This was the day our friends let their hair down and spoke with amazing frankness.
  • We know when we can afford to let our hair down and when we can't.
  • As he would reach up for it, she would stick the spoon in her mouth and then pull her hands down.
  • Caroline strode to the windows and plumped her hands down on the sill.
  • I pulled my hands down toward her knees.
  • If an election had been held then, San Francisco would have won hands down.
  • If size is a factor in this, Xerox has succeeded hands down.
  • The answer is light, hands down.
  • The twin arms of that mechanical gibbet forced his hands down into the liquid, which sizzled and steamed.
  • You then bring your hands down and show that the birds have flown.
  • Just a few months earlier, the Supreme Court had handed down a decision inviting states to pass abortion restrictions.
  • She is expected soon to hand down a ruling.
  • The commission will seek to arbitrate a resolution before handing down a decision in late summer.
  • After all, up the lads and down the hatch.
  • Nirvana Inc battened down the hatches and made to ride out the storm.
  • The chain has battened down the hatches in the face of the storms.
  • He simply puts his head down and keeps on scoring goals - lots of them.
  • He was as cranky as a bad-tempered goat, always putting his head down and charging into things that annoyed him.
  • I put my head down and kept stroking.
  • I put my head down into my hands and absented myself mentally.
  • Instead of putting his head down and charging, Balshaw chipped and chased.
  • When I saw him in court he was crying, and so was I.. He put his head down.
  • You chuck down three of them, and then put your head down on your desk.
  • But real life, of course, teaches lesser men to keep their heads down and their mouths shut.
  • Carla kept her head down as she approached the front door, glancing up briefly when the two officers introduced them-selves.
  • Even his most bitter opponents are keeping their heads down.
  • He kept his head down under fire, avoided trouble, trusted in luck to keep him alive.
  • I have pain in my left shoulder when I keep my head down or in moving my left arm a lot.
  • I kept my head down and pretended to be consuming the scraps left on my dish.
  • I kept my head down and the heavy bag well to the fore as a protective shield.
  • It was good advice to keep my head down in the early months.
  • 1989 will go down in history as the year in which Stalinist Communism ended.
  • This Minister will go down in history as the Minister who killed off small shops in Britain.
► hit somebody when they are down
  • Clarke holds down two jobs to support his family.
  • Kelly wants to prove to his father that he can hold down a job.
  • But if you are schizophrenic, you can not think straight, concentrate, hold down a job.
  • During the day they held down jobs as, respectively, a waitress and delivery driver.
  • Frye was expounding on the dangers of holding down a job while taking a full load of courses.
  • People with long-term mental disorder have many problems in holding down a job.
  • Rella could hold down jobs, when she wanted to.
  • Who would employ her and how would she hold down a job?
  • Sinatra brought the house down when he sang "New York, New York."
  • She nearly brought the house down when I scrounged another biscuit and put her through her repertoire of tricks.
  • The Great One almost brought the house down in his return to Southern California.
  • This comeback brought the house down.
  • Topping the bill was Dangerous Dan the fire eater, but it was the finish that brought the house down.
  • I was just asking a question. You don't have to jump down my throat!
  • The newspapers cannot resist kicking a man when he is down.
► knock somebody ↔ down► knock somebody ↔ down► knock something ↔ down► knock something ↔ down
  • But prolonged recession and high unemployment knocked his popularity down to rock-bottom.
  • Rose recommended knocking it down to $ 15, 000 and the supes agreed.
  • If Bob starts laying down the law, just tell him to shut up.
  • Parents need to lay down the law regarding how much TV their children watch.
  • By eleven o'clock I was standing in front of Patterson's desk laying down the law.
  • It is unfortunate that Mrs Gardner's thoroughness did not extend to laying down the law about insurance.
  • MacFarland said I would do well in his class and laid down the law about doing well in the others.
  • Ron, too, was laying down the law.
  • She would lay down the laws.
  • Steadily I disappointed Paquita, who believed it was my job to lay down the law with Clarisa.
  • They made a move for the piano, but we laid down the law and soon redirected their energy to sightseeing.
  • Well, there was nothing for it, I had to lay down the law in no uncertain terms.
  • He considered it a privilege to lay down his life for his country.
  • He remembered the words of Izz Huett: She would have laid down her life for you.
  • I would lay down my life for it.
  • They had true grievances to settle and were ready to lay down their lives for vengeance.
► go down like a lead balloon
  • Among the many booksellers and publishers whom I spotted letting their hair down on the dance floor was independent publisher Christopher Hurst.
  • He liked this: what his pub was all about, for people to let their hair down.
  • In the second half Complicite let their hair down in their own inimitable way.
  • Man's got ta let his hair down.
  • Out in the pasture, the princess let her hair down.
  • This was the day our friends let their hair down and spoke with amazing frankness.
  • We know when we can afford to let our hair down and when we can't.
  • Never let your guard down was the only solace he offered.
  • We must not let our defences down, Mrs Thatcher and other cautious voices would argue.
► let somebody down lightly/gently
  • We are not going to take this verdict lying down. There will be protests.
  • And, on yer bike: The charity rider who's taking it all lying down.
  • But Will took it lying down - all in a good cause of course.
  • Carl however was too active mentally to take this lying down.
  • Mr Estrada has not taken the storm lying down.
  • Perhaps you're not a person to take criticism lying down and you have had some sharp exchanges with your friend.
  • The Socialists, though, are not taking it lying down.
  • They're not taking it lying down.
  • They are not taking things lying down as many other Third World people tend to do.
  • And Caminiti dunked a two-run double down the line in right.
  • As the couple passed on down the line, George quickly approached the man.
  • He loves his back-seat role, moving quietly up and down the lines, constantly persuading and cajoling.
  • I would, I would probably do the same thing were I you know, another generation down the line.
  • Otherwise he'd have been down the line after us like a shot.
  • Sherman wanted nothing less seven years down the line, when he was forty-five.
  • The thing I try to do in that situation is flick my bat and start jogging down the line.
  • I can go in a shirt and jeans and no one looks down his nose at me.
  • Besides, I didn't fancy going to the Chapel and having all the family looking down their noses at me.
  • But I was not one to look down my nose at shabbiness.
  • Don't look down their noses at you.
  • Never had any man so looked down his nose at her.
  • No more will I look down my nose at whining, spineless malcontents.
  • Normally she looked down her nose at men and then ignored them unless they needed the sharp edge of her tongue.
  • One who doesn't look down her nose at anybody.
  • We looked down our noses at this pair of student hicks.
  • "Don't be silly - you don't need to lose weight," he said, looking her up and down.
  • The hotel manager slowly looked the old man up and down and then asked him to leave.
  • Every day after the first two weeks I would look anxiously up and down the road, hoping to see their car.
  • Raul looked him up and down, eyes opened wide with derision.
  • Ron Barton looked her up and down.
  • She looked him up and down.
  • She stood there, looking Sherman up and down, as if she were angry.
  • The eaters were lo-cals; they looked us up and down when we went in.
  • The guy looked him up and down and then something clicked.
  • Here, parents who are down on their luck can pick out toys for their children.
  • In the film, Williams plays a down-on-his luck salesman whose wife has left him.
  • The program is for motivated people who are temporarily down on their luck.
  • We bought the necklace from an old man who was down on his luck and in need of a penny or two.
  • All were down on their luck, all had been drinking and all had decided on an easy way out.
  • Families that were down on their luck could get a small loan, food, a job referral.
  • He was down on his luck and not a happy hedgehog.
► kick/hit a man when he’s down► put/lay/set down a marker
  • So if anyone wants company for a walk down Memory Lane, I will gladly go with them.
  • The doctor calls it a panic attack, I call it a trip down memory lane for big bro.
  • This will be a trip down memory lane for the right hon. Gentleman.
  • The vote was split right down the middle.
  • We split you down the middle.
  • Why do you look so down in the mouth today?
  • He was no longer down in the mouth.
  • I have, as you know, been slightly down in the mouth.
  • Peter saw him the other night, Max, said he looked very down in the mouth.
► nail somebody down
  • Men and horses went down like ninepins before them, in a tangle of waving limbs, flailing hooves and broken lances.
  • The Mimosa is going down the pan faster than Dynorod could.
  • No harm in taking Evans down a peg.
  • Job opportunities like this don't come down the pike that often.
  • Our image as a bunch of bumpkins who roll over for anything that comes down the pike?
► it is pissing down (with rain)
  • He was built like a brick shithouse and he plonked himself down right in front of the stage.
  • Stanley plopped down on the sofa beside me.
  • Carefully, slowly, not at all certain why, they plopped down on to the branch.
  • On our other side a young couple wandered by and plopped down with only a six-pack and a sleeping bag.
  • Our friend Joan strolls into the bank and plops down $ 100 to open an account.
  • She plopped down too much mortar, smoothed it out and set a brick on it.
  • She plops down on the empty cot and lifts a curtain to peer out the window.
  • The coyote returned to the barn end and plopped down in front of the crowd of llamas.
► go down the plughole
  • Peggy plumped down in the chair beside Otto.
  • Americans love to plunk themselves down in front of the TV.
  • I plunk down a dollar and confront my deepest fears.
  • Marketers usually plunk down the equivalent of $ 40, 000 or so in cash, goods or services for placement.
  • The beverage giant wants you to plunk down your money and decide for yourself.
► pull something ↔ down► pull down something► pull somebody down
  • I could not pull down a menu.
  • The pull down menus make the game easy to play and the smooth animation help keep the interest of younger players.
  • The program has a pull down menu interface for ease of use.
  • The program uses pull down menus and is easy to follow.
  • As the stage approached, I put one down and waved violently.
  • Culley put the phone down, then dialled Mike Dawson's number.
  • He asked two questions and put the phone down.
  • I did not want to put it down.
  • Minna put the letter down and shuddered.
  • Parents may carry her around constantly afraid to put her down for fear she will burst into tears again.
  • She put her drink down on the bar.
  • When I put that phone down, I was in tears.
► put somebody down for £5/£20 etc► put it down to experience
  • As the stage approached, I put one down and waved violently.
  • Culley put the phone down, then dialled Mike Dawson's number.
  • He asked two questions and put the phone down.
  • I did not want to put it down.
  • Minna put the letter down and shuddered.
  • Parents may carry her around constantly afraid to put her down for fear she will burst into tears again.
  • She put her drink down on the bar.
  • When I put that phone down, I was in tears.
  • As the stage approached, I put one down and waved violently.
  • Culley put the phone down, then dialled Mike Dawson's number.
  • He asked two questions and put the phone down.
  • I did not want to put it down.
  • Minna put the letter down and shuddered.
  • Parents may carry her around constantly afraid to put her down for fear she will burst into tears again.
  • She put her drink down on the bar.
  • When I put that phone down, I was in tears.
  • As the stage approached, I put one down and waved violently.
  • Culley put the phone down, then dialled Mike Dawson's number.
  • He asked two questions and put the phone down.
  • I did not want to put it down.
  • Minna put the letter down and shuddered.
  • Parents may carry her around constantly afraid to put her down for fear she will burst into tears again.
  • She put her drink down on the bar.
  • When I put that phone down, I was in tears.
  • My father's father, a soldier in the Black Watch, had helped put down a rebellion one Easter in Dublin.
  • As the stage approached, I put one down and waved violently.
  • Culley put the phone down, then dialled Mike Dawson's number.
  • He asked two questions and put the phone down.
  • I did not want to put it down.
  • Minna put the letter down and shuddered.
  • Parents may carry her around constantly afraid to put her down for fear she will burst into tears again.
  • She put her drink down on the bar.
  • When I put that phone down, I was in tears.
  • As the stage approached, I put one down and waved violently.
  • Culley put the phone down, then dialled Mike Dawson's number.
  • He asked two questions and put the phone down.
  • I did not want to put it down.
  • Minna put the letter down and shuddered.
  • Parents may carry her around constantly afraid to put her down for fear she will burst into tears again.
  • She put her drink down on the bar.
  • When I put that phone down, I was in tears.
  • After I have put the phone down I sit gazing at Kyle on the opposite side of the airwell.
  • After she had put the phone down, she felt in a daze.
  • And he had just put the phone down on the only man who could ruin it all for him.
  • Be brisk, polite, and put the phone down.
  • Culley put the phone down, then dialled Mike Dawson's number.
  • He put the phone down and listened to its ringing - its machine persistence.
  • He put the phone down in the dining room.
  • He put the phone down on the cradle and stared at it.
  • As the stage approached, I put one down and waved violently.
  • Culley put the phone down, then dialled Mike Dawson's number.
  • He asked two questions and put the phone down.
  • I did not want to put it down.
  • Minna put the letter down and shuddered.
  • Parents may carry her around constantly afraid to put her down for fear she will burst into tears again.
  • She put her drink down on the bar.
  • When I put that phone down, I was in tears.
  • It's such a good book that I couldn't put it down.
  • What an amazing book! I just couldn't put it down.
  • As the stage approached, I put one down and waved violently.
  • Culley put the phone down, then dialled Mike Dawson's number.
  • He asked two questions and put the phone down.
  • I did not want to put it down.
  • Minna put the letter down and shuddered.
  • Parents may carry her around constantly afraid to put her down for fear she will burst into tears again.
  • She put her drink down on the bar.
  • When I put that phone down, I was in tears.
► put down a motion/an amendment► rain (down) blows/blows rain down
  • His teeth were even and white, and Bernice wanted to ram them down his throat.
  • Jess felt like ramming it down his throat.
  • At one spot along the road, a lone flower escaped the flames that poured through the Three Bar Wildlife Area.
  • How far down the road of cutbacks do bank management want to go?
  • Lily shot a quick horrified look up and down the road.
  • No car had come down the road for a while.
  • There's a nice place down the road.
  • Well, we want to let you know that a new church is opening just down the road from you.
  • They mustn't go down this road again, it could only lead to disaster.
► roll a window down
  • Just as I was putting down roots, our family had to move up north.
  • For Ada, putting down roots opens a new life of discipline and learning.
  • However, now that they had family responsibilities and were beginning to put down roots, they returned to their former church-going.
  • I was going to put down roots, achieve something, give meaning to my existence.
  • In their place, developers are building upscale subdivisions that tend to cater to newcomers less willing to put down roots.
  • It puts down roots 10 feet deep, easily withstanding drought and even frequent fires.
  • Meanwhile, people who might want to put down roots in the community are finding it prohibitively expensive.
  • She's had 8 quarters, so it's hard to put down roots.
  • What better way to put down roots, and what more suitable time than in the spring?
► run down something► run somebody/something down► run somebody/something ↔ down► run somebody/something ↔ down
  • The workers were promised that they would not lose their jobs as a result of the merger. Later they found out that they had been sold down the river.
  • Stephen King's novels have sent shivers up readers' spines for more than 20 years.
  • He kicked her sending shivers up her spine; again she yelped, and everything turned black.
  • We both kept waiting for the moment when the experience would overwhelm us and send chills up our spines.
► send something ↔ down► send somebody down
  • Afterwards in the pub some one told me he would probably be sent down.
  • He was sent down from Eton in 1863 for a few months for having made a forbidden visit to a Jesuit house.
  • He was sent down South to live with his grandparents when he was in second grade.
  • I was using regular for about two years after that until I was sent down.
  • Much of the iron was sent down the valleys for export through Cardiff and Newport.
  • Police divers were sent down to check the vessel's hull for possible sabotage.
  • There seems every possibility that Trev Proby will be sent down in the near future.
  • As she settled back down it continued to cook and burst into flames.
  • At that time, diesel prices in California spiked briefly, but settled back down by the end of that year.
  • Before she could say any more, he settled the helmet down over his head and fastened the strap.
  • Find a doctor, maybe; something to settle him down.
  • He settled his weight down on the step beside her and dwelt anxiously on her state.
  • He nods stiffly, then settles his chin down on his chest, scowling.
  • Try to settle the puppy down here before going to bed.
  • We wound up taking him for long rides in the car to settle him down.
► shake somebody ↔ down► shake somebody/something ↔ down
  • Craig shinned down the rope to where we were standing.
  • I locked myself out of the house and had to shinny up a drainpipe to get in.
  • We watched as small boys shinned up palm trees and brought coconuts down.
  • Boys and girls shinned up trees to 10p off branches.
  • But can not phone him from Twills as Mr Twill would insist on shinning up drainpipe himself and break femur.
  • Dave shinned up a handy conifer.
  • He nodded encouragement to his fellows, and they shinned up after him and dropped down into the stockade.
  • Maintenance men could tell whether a pole - wooden or concrete - is dangerously cracked before shinning up it.
  • No fire-escape, no convenient drainpipe anyone could shin up.
  • Nothing as cheap as an open window or shinning down a drainpipe at midnight or down paying a suitcase full of bricks.
  • The animal was so tame that it shinned up his leg and dived into a deep pocket.
  • His brother was eight and spent two days learning how to shinny up to the office.
  • The boy panicked and tried more desperately to shinny up the mast.
► shut somebody ↔ down
  • Brown was constantly letting the side down.
  • Essentially, it's the ageing drivetrain that lets the side down.
  • I don't want to let the side down - don't send me to the Sick Room!
  • It is an unmentionable subject, a terrible way of letting the side down.
► criticize/nag/hassle somebody up one side and down the other► sit somebody down
  • First we should sit down and work out the financing.
  • But I found I could just sit down and play by ear.
  • He sat down and pushed at the lid with one filthy paw.
  • Something that makes you want to sit down and take notice.
  • The harvesters stopped work, sat down and started to eat and drink.
  • The Springboks sat down and waited.
  • Then she sat down and started to eat.
  • Then the Kuchas sat down and ate the fish in his honor.
  • We can all sit down and analyze.
  • Nearly 1,000 fans staged a sit-down protest calling for Branfoot's head, despite the victory sealed by Richard Hall's header.
► down south
  • Gabriel had the window wide open and was standing there looking down at him.
  • He stands looking down at me.
  • He stood looking down at Tibbles, breathing heavily.
  • He walked slowly over to the door, and stood looking down at her.
  • Jane crossed to the windows and stood staring down into the street.
  • Then he stood looking down at Tim Reagan.
► go down the Swanee
  • But my brokers were complaining that I was shoving them down their throats.
  • His teeth were even and white, and Bernice wanted to ram them down his throat.
  • Jess felt like ramming it down his throat.
  • The agents poured pepper sauce down their nostrils, or forced water down their throats.
  • Torrents of lava would not tumble out to force fire down his throat, torch his tongue.
  • At this stage, the urge to do something was unfocused, but it was extraordinary how people threw themselves into it.
  • Grief-stricken, he threw himself on her.
  • He kicked it in, threw himself on the floor and rolled under the bed.
  • I threw myself down on the bed and sobbed bitterly.
  • I threw myself into organising the funeral, picking out the music I wanted played.
  • Like Billy McFadzean who in 1916 threw himself on two bombs to save his comrades in the trenches of the Somme.
  • They threw themselves down on the street or took shelter behind cars and in doorways.
  • You put him in a situation where women are throwing themselves at him.
  • But the docs just gave me the thumbs up.
  • East Kilbride celebrates as tyre plant proposal given the thumbs down.
  • I can see it now: In toga and laurel wreath, Big Al will give the thumbs up or thumbs down.
  • In Grampian, 80 percent. of general practitioners gave it the thumbs down.
  • London movie-goers gave Glengarry Glen Ross, about cut-throat estate agents, the thumbs up this week.
  • The Dole campaign has not yet given the thumbs up, preferring to wait for the results of Super Tuesday.
  • The question, which had been popped earlier on the stadium's electronic scoreboard, got the thumbs up.
  • Top analysts gave it the thumbs up and prices took off.
► it’s tipping (it) down► come down on somebody like a ton of bricks
  • It seems to be going down a treat.
  • It went down a treat with the matrons in safe seats like South-west Surrey.
  • The who experiment could go down the tubes.
  • Soon her marriage came tumbling down.
  • And the marriage comes tumbling down as Roth, like a Roth hero, demands to become unbound from marital ties.
  • Another set of walls comes tumbling down.
  • As the Holy Spirit filled me, the barriers came tumbling down.
  • He watched a huge white mountain collapse and come tumbling down on him.
  • One wrong move, we realized with horror, and the doors could come tumbling down.
  • The statues came tumbling down all over the Soviet Union.
  • Then the stage came tumbling down.
  • There is a loud clatter as a stack of circuit boards comes tumbling down.
  • I want you kids to stop running up and down in the hall.
  • All night he parades up and down the bar like a brawny old cockerel.
  • He went down early each morning and jumped up and down in the briny, enjoying every minute of it.
  • If you build your jig slightly larger than your posts it will slide up and down more easily.
  • She opened doors, walked up and down, inspected rooms.
  • The old woman nodded, left and right and up and down.
  • The whole place reverberated with noise, feet pounding up and down stairs, children yelling, women shouting, doors banging.
  • Two dancers in harness are walking up and down the pole.
  • When the Goldwater scholarship was announced this spring, Flores jumped up and down, not for joy, but from surprise.
  • We had a lot of ups and downs in our marriage.
  • Eachuinn Odhar had his ups and downs, but more downs than ups.
  • If you're prepared to take a five-year view, these ups and downs are worth enduring.
  • Most older people cope with the ups and downs of their daily lives.
  • Relearning is a longer, gradual process with ups and downs and it is too easy just to give up.
  • There have been ups and downs of course.
  • There have been ups and downs, yes, but on the whole my fortunes have grown.
  • We need to hold tenaciously to our commitment to talk over the ups and downs of our days.
  • A distorted religion has turned the world upside down, denying that anything ever existed before itself.
  • I turn the box upside down and bring it out empty.
  • The girl was turning everything upside down.
  • The history of implants has been equally painful; implants can shift or turn themselves upside down.
  • They studied the map for a while, scratched their heads, turned it upside down and studied it some more.
  • We could turn the glass upside down and sideways without having the water pour out because air pressure pushes in all directions.
  • Yet with an appealing brew of nationalism and promise of democratic reform, Kostunica has since turned Yugoslav politics upside down.
► down your/London etc way► wear somebody ↔ down► wind something ↔ down► wind something ↔ down
  • We were in a couple of games that went right down to the wire.
  • In the event the starting line-up went down to the wire.
  • It is down to the wire.
► go up/come down in the world
1to a lower position to or towards a lower place or position OPP  up:  David bent down to tie his shoelace. Get down off the table. Tears were streaming down my face. The sun was going down and it would soon be dark. They came running down the stairs. She stood on a balcony looking down into the courtyard. Glancing down the list of runners, I noticed a familiar name. Her hair came down to her waist. Ken fell asleep face down (=with his face towards the ground) on the couch.2in a lower place in a lower place or position OPP  up:  We heard the sound of laughter down below. The bathroom is down those stairs. Halfway down the page, there was the item I was looking for.3to lie/sit into a sitting or lying position:  Please sit down. I think I’ll go and lie down for a while.4along at or to a place that is further along something such as a road or path:  A young man came hurrying down the street. She looked down the road to see if anyone was coming. There is a pleasant little cafe bar a hundred yards down the road. The bus stop is a bit further down on the left-hand side.5south in or towards the south OPP  up:  They drove all the way down from Boston to Miami. They sailed down the east coast of Africa. Now he’s bought a villa down south. a trip down Mexico way6somewhere local at or to a place that is not far away:  She’s just gone down to the shops. I saw her down at the station this morning.7river away from the place where a river starts OPP  up:  Chunks of ice came floating down the river.8fastened to a surface used with verbs that mean ‘fasten’ to show that something is fastened firmly to the surface or object below it:  The coffin lid had been nailed down.9less at or towards a level or amount that is less OPP  up:  Keep your speed down. House prices have come down in recent months. Turn the radio down.down to Sharif cut his report down to only three pages.10losing losing to an opponent by a certain number of pointstwo goals down/three points down etc Swindon were six points down at one stage.11written used with verbs that mean ‘write’ to show that you write something on paper or in a book:  I’ll write down the address for you. Start by jotting down a few ideas. Let’s put you down as self-employed.12on a list if you are down for something, your name is on a list of people who want to do something or are intended to do somethingdown for Purvis is down for the 200 metre freestyle event. We’ve already put his name down for nursery school.down to do something I’ve got you down to do the table decorations.13to later times from an earlier time in history to a later time or to people who are born in later times:  a person whose words and actions have inspired millions of people down the centuries This knowledge was handed down in the family from father to son. The story has been passed down the generations for a thousand years.down to traditions that have come down to us from medieval times14paid immediately paid to someone immediately:  A top quality freezer for only £20 down and £5 a week for a year.15every part from top to bottom:  I want you to wash my car down.16swallowed in or into your stomach as a result of swallowing:  Meg’s been very ill and can’t keep her food down. He gulped down the coffee.17sad unhappy or sad:  Tim’s been feeling down.► see thesaurus at sad18computer if a computer is down, it is not working OPP  up► see thesaurus at broken19be down to somebody if an action or decision is down to you, it is your responsibility:  It’s down to me to make sure that everyone is happy. → be up to somebody at up120be down to somebody/something to be the result of one person’s actions or one particular thing:  Chris’s success is all down to him.21be down to your last pound/dollar/litre etc to be left with only a small amount of something:  We’re down to our last five dollars.22down to something/somebody including everything or everyone, even the smallest thing or the least important person:  Everyone uses the cafeteria, from the managing director down to the office boy. The plans were all complete down to the last detail.23be/go down with something to have a particular illness:  Jane’s gone down with flu.24Down with somebody/something spoken used to say that you strongly oppose a government, leader etc and want them to lose their power:  Down with the government!25be down on somebody/something informal to have a severe attitude towards someone or something, especially when this is unfair:  Why is Mark so down on her at the moment?26leaving university British English used to say that someone leaves or has left a university at the end of a period of studydown from Sarah came down from Oxford in 1966.27completed already done or completed:  Well, you’ve passed your second test, so it’s two down and four more to go.28down under informal in or to Australia or New Zealand29Down! spoken used to tell a jumping dog to get down30be down with somebody spoken informal to be friends with someone → be down on your luck at luck1(17)
down1 adverb, preposition, adjectivedown2 verbdown3 noun
downdown2 verb [transitive] Word Origin
WORD ORIGINdown2
Origin:
1-2 1300-1400 Old Norse dúnn3, 5 1800-1900 ➔ DOWN24 Old English dun ‘hill’
Verb Table
VERB TABLE
down
Simple Form
PresentI, you, we, theydown
he, she, itdowns
PastI, you, he, she, it, we, theydowned
Present perfectI, you, we, theyhave downed
he, she, ithas downed
Past perfectI, you, he, she, it, we, theyhad downed
FutureI, you, he, she, it, we, theywill down
Future perfectI, you, he, she, it, we, theywill have downed
Continuous Form
PresentIam downing
he, she, itis downing
you, we, theyare downing
PastI, he, she, itwas downing
you, we, theywere downing
Present perfectI, you, we, theyhave been downing
he, she, ithas been downing
Past perfectI, you, he, she, it, we, theyhad been downing
FutureI, you, he, she, it, we, theywill be downing
Future perfectI, you, he, she, it, we, theywill have been downing
Examples
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
  • After downing a whole bottle of tequila, she swallowed several dozen sleeping tablets.
  • He claimed the rebels downed 35 government aircraft.
  • Jack downed three beers with his steak and fries.
  • Malone added 20 points as Utah downed Orlando in Salt Lake City.
  • More than 60 electrical wires were downed by the wet, heavy snow.
  • The servant brought a glass of water, which I downed in a single mouthful.
EXAMPLES FROM THE CORPUS
  • Parker downed it in one swallow.
  • Schumacher sank back in his seat and downed the tumbler of whisky which had appeared at his side.
Thesaurus
Longman Language Activatormoving down
to a lower position or place: · I told you not to climb on that table. Get down!down into/to/from etc: · He's gone down to the basement to get some more beer.· The accident happened when we were coming down off the mountain.roll/fall/jump etc down: · Tears began to roll down her cheeks.· The heat of the fire brought ceilings crashing down onto the floor.look/glance/stare etc down: · She gazed down at the ring on her finger.· The doctor glanced down at the notepad on his desk.
British also downward American moving, looking, or pointing towards a lower level or towards the ground: · We came to a path winding downwards through the trees.· He was gazing downward into the pit.
if you move, walk, drive etc downhill , you go down a slope: · We set off downhill towards the lake.· After we get to the top it'll be downhill all the way to Kendal.
British also earthward American formal down towards the ground from the sky or from a high place: · Moments later he tripped and was falling earthwards.· Flight 427 suddenly rolled and plunged earthward as it approached Pittsburgh.
going or moving towards a lower level or towards the ground: · He managed to pull himself free with a sudden downward movement of his hands.· She gave the bell-rope a swift downward tug.· The downward pressure on my chest became more intense.
if someone is lying face down , they are lying with their face on the ground or a surface: lie face down: · Douglas found her lying face down on the floor.collapse/land/fall etc face down: · She was flung violently forward, to land face down in a heap of blankets.
to go down
to go down some stairs, a ladder, a slope etc: · You go down a steep slope, then turn left at the bottom of the hill.· Right, here's the ladder. Who's going down first?go down to: · I'll go down (=downstairs) to the kitchen and get you a glass of water.
if a plane, bomb etc comes down somewhere, it comes down to the ground there, especially by accident: · Airline officials believe that the plane came down somewhere in the Andes mountains.· One of the missiles came down in a heavily populated suburb of Beirut.
to fall straight downwards through the air: · When I let go of her hand, it dropped like a stone.drop onto/from/off etc: · The bottle rolled across the table, dropped onto the floor, and smashed.· One of your buttons has dropped off.
to come down through the air from a higher place: · Just as we were about to leave the house, rain began to fall.fall from/down/on etc: · Leaves were falling from the trees.· Bombs fell on the streets, destroying neighbouring homes, but leaving the school intact.
written to go down a slope, a mountain etc slowly and carefully: · Slowly the two climbers descended the cliff face.descend into/from etc: · We descended into the cave by a rope ladder.
if a plane or a bird dives , it moves quickly down through the air: · The engine did not re-start, and the plane dived to the ground.· The hawk stopped in mid-flight before diving down on its prey.
if a plane or a bird lands , it comes down to the ground in a controlled way: · He loves watching planes take off and land at the airport.land in/on/at: · We will be landing at Singapore airport at 3 am local time.· A flock of Canada geese landed on the river in front of us.
if a plane touches down , it arrives safely on the ground at an airport but has not yet stopped moving: · The King's private plane touched down at Heathrow airport at exactly 12.15 this afternoon.· We will be touching down in about an hour's time.
when the sun goes down
if the sun goes down or sets at the end of the day, it moves downwards in the sky until it cannot be seen: · We sat on the balcony and watched the sun go down.· The sun usually sets at about 6pm at this time of year.· The setting sun cast a deep red glow over the city's rosy stone.
if the sun sinks , it goes down slowly - used especially in descriptions or stories: · The sun sank and darkness fell on the island.· As the sun sank lower and lower, the sky first turned pink and then orange.
the time when the sun goes down or the way the sun looks when it goes down: · We sat and watched the glorious sunset from across the Mekong river.at sunset (=at the time when the sun is setting): · You may prefer to sit on the terrace sipping a cocktail at sunset.
to go down under the surface of water, mud etc
to go down below the surface of water, mud, sand etc, without being able to control or prevent it: · Hundreds of passengers tried desperately to escape from the boat as it sank.sink into: · The guns sank deeper and deeper into the mud.· With the car sinking into a marsh, there wasn't a moment to spare.sink without trace (=sink and disappear completely): · There was a sucking noise, and then the branch sank without trace.
to jump down into water with your head first: · She stood at the edge of the pool waiting to dive.dive into/in: · Ralph dived into the icy water.· A woman dived in to rescue the boy.
to jump into a river, lake etc quickly, making a lot of noise: plunge into/in: · Colin plunged into the icy water.· I plunged in fully-clothed and pulled her to the river bank.
to deliberately go under the surface of water or make something do this: · Peter pulled on the mask and submerged again.submerge something in something: · elephants submerging themselves in cooling water
if a ship or person goes under , they sink below the surface of water, usually after an accident: · By the time the sea rescue service arrived, the ship had gone under.· According to the only survivor, his comrades went under one by one.
to make a plane, boat, etc go down
: sink a ship/boat/submarine etc to damage a ship, boat etc so badly that it goes under the water: · Submarines were used to sink the enemy's supply ships.· One battleship was sunk and two were badly damaged in last night's fighting.
to deliberately shoot at or damage a plane while it is flying so that it falls to the ground and crashes: shoot/bring down something: · In May 1960 the Russians shot down an American U2 spy plane.shoot/bring something down: · He followed the dive-bomber round in a very tight turn and shot it down into the sea.· One helicopter gunship had been brought down by small-arms fire.
to move something down or let it move down
if you drop something that you are holding, it suddenly falls from your hands, especially accidentally: · You've dropped your handkerchief.· Be careful not to drop that bowl, it's very valuable.drop something onto/on/in something: · I nearly dropped my glass on the floor when they said I'd won.
if you put an object down , you put it on the ground or another surface; if you put your hand, head etc down , you move it into a lower position: · Put the gun down.· OK, you can all put your hands down now.
to move an object or your body into a lower position: · We need to lower the mirror in the bathroom.lower your head/arms/body: · Lowering its head, the bull charged at him.lower something into/onto/over etc something: · The coffin was lowered slowly into the ground.lower yourself into/onto something (=sit down slowly and carefully): · The old man lowered himself wearily into his chair.
when something hangs down
· He stood very still, his arms hanging loosely, his feet apart.hang from · In the corner of the room was a large lamp, hanging from the ceiling.· The watch was on a gold chain that hung from his belt.hang down · Hold one end of the rope in your hand and let the other end hang down.hang on/under/next to etc · The keys are hanging on a nail by the door.· A picture of their parents hangs over the bedroom door.
to hang loosely, moving slightly from side to side: dangle from: · Dangling from her ears were two large gold earrings.· He dangled helplessly from the cliff, trying not to look down.dangle in/over/next to etc: · We sat on the edge of the pool with our legs dangling in the water.
to be hanging from a high position: be suspended by: · A row of hares were suspended by their feet outside the butcher's shop.be suspended from: · All sorts of artefacts were suspended from the ceiling.
to move from side to side while hanging from a higher position, or to make something do this: swing from: · A lantern swung from a hook in the roof.· A small jewelled cross swung from a gold chain around her neck.
to move down to a lower position in a list
to move down to a lower position in a list of people or things that are competing with each other: · The pound fell against the Euro again today.fall (from something) to something: · Within the space of a few minutes, the British song fell from top to bottom position.fall (by) 3 places/6 points etc: · Aston Villa fell 3 places in the league after their defeat by Barnsley.
to gradually move to a lower position in a list, competition etc: slip (from something) to something: · Mansell has now slipped to third position.· The American slipped from second place to fourth.slip down: · The team has been slipping down the league table and really needs some new players if it is to improve.
to drink all of something
· Come on, drink up. I want to go home.drink something up · Come on, drink your milk up.drink up something · She drank up her brandy and signalled to the waiter to bring another.
informal to quickly drink large quantities of an alcoholic drink: knock back something: · Two bored-looking businessmen were knocking back glasses of schnapps.· He knocked back the last of the bourbon, then lit his last cigarette.knock something back: · When his whisky arrived, he knocked it back in a single gulp.
to drink all of a drink fairly quickly, especially an alcoholic drink: · The servant brought a glass of water, which I downed in a single mouthful.· After downing a whole bottle of tequila, she swallowed several dozen sleeping tablets.
: drain a bottle/glass/cup etc to drink everything that is in a bottle etc, including the last few drops: · Jim drained his glass then offered to buy everyone another one.· Hurriedly draining her cup, she reached for her purse.
to finish something that you enjoy drinking, especially quickly or before someone else can drink it: polish something off: · I think I'll polish that last beer off before George gets in.polish off something: · Did you polish off all the wine last night?
to stop working in order to get higher wages etc
if workers go on strike , they stop working in order to demand better pay or working conditions, or to protest about something: · In 1926, all Britain's miners, railway workers, and transport workers went on strike.go on strike for: · The engineers have gone on strike for better pay and shorter working hours.go on indefinite strike (=go on strike until something is done to change a situation): · From tomorrow, we're going on indefinite strike unless something's done to reduce the number of accidents in the factory.
if workers strike , they stop working in order to demand higher wages etc - used especially in news reports: · Female workers are often more reluctant than men to strike in order to get what they want.strike for: · Teachers were not striking for higher pay, but for higher standards in education.
British if a group of workers come out on strike , they deliberately stop working as a protest, especially after discussions with their employers have failed to produce any agreement: · Union leaders are calling on their members to come out on strike from next Monday.come out on strike in support of somebody/something: · The government just didn't expect teachers to come out on strike in support of the miners.
if workers walk out , they stop working and leave the place where they are working, especially when this has not been planned but happens as a protest about something that has just happened: · This afternoon, three hundred car workers walked out as a protest over cuts in overtime.· Ambulance drivers have threatened to walk out if their pay claim is rejected.
British if workers in a factory down tools , they stop working as a protest about something that has just happened: · After their workmate was sacked, the other machinists all downed tools until she was reinstated.
if workers are on strike , they have stopped working in order to demand higher wages etc: · Some two-thirds of the country's diamond miners are now on strike.be out on strike: · There were frequent power cuts when the electricity workers were out on strike.
WORD SETS
abalone, nounacetic acid, nounadditive, nounaftertaste, nounà la carte, adjectiveal dente, adjectivealfresco, adjectiveambrosia, nounangelica, nounaniseed, nounantipasto, nounappetizer, nounarrowroot, nounbad, adjectivebaker, nounbaking powder, nounbaking soda, nounbanana split, nounbanger, nounbanquet, nounbanqueting hall, nounbarbie, nounbarley, nounbasil, nounbass, nounbatch, nounbay leaf, nounBBQ, nounbean, nounbean curd, nounbeansprout, nounbeef, nounbeefburger, nounbeefsteak, nounbeet, nounbell pepper, nounberry, nounbetel, nounbetel nut, nounbicarbonate of soda, nounbilberry, nounbill of fare, nounbinge, nounbinge, verbbistro, nounblackberry, nounblack-eyed bean, nounblack pepper, nounblack pudding, nounblend, verbblend, nounblueberry, nounboard, nounbolt, verbbone, verbbon vivant, nounbony, adjectivebox lunch, nounbramble, nounbran, nounbrandy butter, nounbrasserie, nounbrawn, nounbreakfast, nounbrisket, nounbroiler, nounbroiler chicken, nounbroth, nounbrown rice, nounbrunch, nounbubble gum, nounbuckwheat, nounbuffet, nounbun, nounbus, verbbusboy, nounbutcher, nounbutcher, verbbutchery, nounbuttercream, nounbutty, nouncafé, nouncafeteria, nouncaff, nouncaffeine, nouncake, nouncan, verbcandy, nouncanned, adjectivecapon, nouncapsicum, nouncaraway, nouncarbohydrate, nouncare package, nouncarvery, nouncassava, nouncater, verbcaterer, nouncatering, nouncatsup, nouncatwalk, nouncayenne pepper, nouncereal, nouncheese, nounchef, nouncherry tomato, nounchickpea, nounchilli, nounChinese, nounchip shop, nounchives, nounchocolate, nounchocolatey, adjectiveChristmas dinner, nounchuck steak, nouncitric acid, nouncitron, nounclotted cream, nounclub sandwich, nouncob, nouncobbler, nouncocoa, nouncocoa bean, nouncoconut milk, nouncoffee house, nouncoffee shop, nouncold cuts, nouncold storage, nouncold store, nouncommissary, nounconcentrate, nouncondensed milk, nouncondiment, nouncone, nounconfection, nounconfectioner, nounconfectioner's sugar, nounconfectionery, nounconserve, nouncontent, nouncontinental breakfast, nounconvenience food, nouncook-chill, adjectivecooker, nouncookie, nouncooking, nouncooking oil, nouncorn bread, nouncorn chip, nouncorncob, nouncorned beef, nouncornet, nouncornflakes, nouncornflour, nouncornmeal, nouncorn on the cob, nouncorn pone, nouncornstarch, nouncorn syrup, nouncottage cheese, nouncotton candy, nouncourgette, nouncourse, nouncover charge, nouncrab, nouncrab apple, nouncracker, nouncrackling, nouncranberry, nouncrayfish, nouncream, nouncream cheese, nouncream cracker, nouncreamer, nouncreamy, adjectivecress, nouncrisp, nouncrisp, adjectivecrispbread, nouncrispy, adjectivecroissant, nouncroquette, nouncrouton, nouncrumb, nouncrumpet, nouncrunchy, adjectivecrust, nouncrusty, adjectivecrystallized, adjectivecucumber, nouncud, nouncuisine, nouncupcake, nouncurd, nouncurdle, verbcurrant, nouncustard, nouncut, nouncutlet, noundainty, nounDanish pastry, noundate, noundefrost, verbdelicacy, noundemerara sugar, noundesiccated, adjectivedevilled, adjectivedevour, verbdiabetic, adjectivedigest, verbdigestible, adjectivedill, noundill pickle, noundine, verbdiner, noundining car, noundinner, noundinner dance, noundinner party, noundinner theater, noundinnertime, noundissolve, verbdoggy bag, noundoily, noundollop, noundough, noundown, verbdrain, verbdredge, verbdried, adjectivedried fruit, noundripping, noundrumstick, noundry goods, noundunk, verbEaster egg, nouneat, verbeatery, nouneating apple, nouneats, nounEccles cake, nounéclair, nounEdam, nounedible, adjectiveeel, nounegg, nouneggplant, nounegg roll, nounelevenses, nounendive, nounEnglish breakfast, nounEnglish muffin, nounentrée, nounepicure, nounescalope, nounevaporated milk, nounfast food, nounfeed, verbfeed, nounfeta cheese, nounfig, nounfilbert, nounfillet, verbfilling, adjectivefilling, nounfilo, nounflounder, nounfloury, adjectiveflyblown, adjectivefoil, nounfoodstuff, nounforage, nounfork, verbfortify, verbfreeze-dried, adjectiveFrench bean, nounFrench bread, nounFrench dressing, nounFrench fry, nounFrench loaf, nounFrench stick, nounfries, nounfromage frais, nounfrozen, adjectivefruit, nounfudge, nounfull-fat, adjectivegaram masala, noungarlic, noungarnish, noungarnish, verbgastronomic, adjectivegastronomy, noungel, verbginger, nounglass, nounglassware, noungolden raisin, noungoody, noungourmand, noungrain, nounGranary, adjectivegranulated, adjectivegreasy, adjectivegreasy spoon, noungreen, adjectivegrill, noungristle, noungrocer, nounground, adjectiveground beef, noungrub, noungruel, nounguava, noungum, noungumball, noungumbo, noungumdrop, nounhalal, adjectivehalibut, nounham, nounhamburger, nounhaunch, nounhead table, nounhealth food, nounheart, nounhearty, adjectiveheat, nounherb, nounhigh tea, nounhome economics, nounhot dish, nounhygiene, nounhygienic, adjectiveiceman, nounindigestible, adjectiveindigestion, nouninedible, adjectiveinfected, adjectiveingest, verbinn, nouninsipid, adjectiveintake, nounirradiate, verbjellied, adjectivejoint, nounjuice, nounjuicy, adjectivejunk, nounjunk food, nounknuckle, nounkosher, adjectivelaxative, nounlean, adjectiveleavings, nounleg, nounlight, adjectiveliquorice, nounlive, adjectiveloaf, nounlocker, nounloin, nounlotus, nounlukewarm, adjectivelump, nounlunch, nounlunch, verblunchbox, nounlunch break, nounluncheon, nounlunch hour, nounlunchroom, nounlunchtime, nounluscious, adjectivemace, nounMadeira cake, nounmain course, nounmaitre d', nounmaize, nounmandarin, nounmandarin orange, nounmangetout, nounmango, nounmaple syrup, nounmargarine, nounmarge, nounmarmalade, nounmarrow, nounmarshmallow, nounMason jar, nounmasticate, verbmature, adjectivemature, verbmeal, nounmealie, nounmealtime, nounmealy, adjectivemeat, nounmeat-packing, nounmeaty, adjectivemellow, adjectivementhol, nounmentholated, adjectivemenu, nounmess, nounmess, verbmess hall, nounmilk chocolate, nounmillet, nounmince, nounmint, nounmocha, nounmolasses, nounmoreish, adjectivemorsel, nounmouldy, adjectivemouth, nounmouthful, nounMSG, nounmunch, verbmung bean, nounmush, nounmushroom, nounmustard, nounnibble, verbnibble, nounnosh, nounnourish, verbnourishment, nounnugget, nounnut, nounnutcracker, nounnutshell, nounnutty, adjectiveoatmeal, nounoats, nounoffal, nounokra, nounon, prepositiononion, nounorder, nounoregano, nounorganic, adjectiveoverindulge, verboxtail, nounpackaging, nounpacker, nounpap, nounparcel, nounpaste, nounpastille, nounpastry, nounpatisserie, nounpearl barley, nounpectin, nounpeel, verbpeel, nounpepper, nounpepper, verbpeppercorn, nounpeppermint, nounperishable, adjectivepetit four, nounpiccalilli, nounpicnic, nounpicnic, verbpie, nounpilaff, nounpilau, nounpimento, nounpinto bean, nounpit, nounpizza parlor, nounpizzeria, nounplain chocolate, nounplain flour, nounploughman's lunch, nounpoor boy, nounpork, nounpork pie, nounpork rinds, nounporridge, nounporterhouse steak, nounportion, nounpostprandial, adjectivepotato, nounpotato crisp, nounpotted, adjectivepoultry, nounpraline, nounprawn, nounprepacked, adjectivepreservative, nounpreserve, verbpreserve, nounpretzel, nounprovision, verbprune, nounpuff pastry, nounpumpernickel, nounpumpkin, nounpuree, verbquince, nounQuorn, nounrabbit, nounrancid, adjectiverare, adjectiveravenous, adjectiveraw, adjectivered meat, nounreheat, verbrennet, nounrepast, nounreplete, adjectiverestaurant, nounrestaurant car, nounrestaurateur, nounrib, nounrice, nounrigatoni, nounrind, nounripe, adjectiveroadhouse, nounrock, nounroe, nounroll, nounroot vegetable, nounrose hip, nounrusk, nounrutabaga, nounsaccharin, nounsalad cream, nounsalad dressing, nounsalami, nounsalmon, nounsalsa, nounsalt, verbsalt, adjectivesalty, adjectivesandwich, nounsardine, nounsassafras, nounsatisfying, adjectivesatsuma, nounsauerkraut, nounsausage, nounscallion, nounscampi, nounscone, nounscoop, nounScotch broth, nounscratchings, nounseafood, nounseasoned, adjectiveseed, verbsemolina, nounservery, nounservice charge, nounserving, nounset, adjectiveshallot, nounshellfish, nounsherbet, nounshish kebab, nounshortbread, nounshortcake, nounshortcrust pastry, nounshoulder, nounshrimp cocktail, nounside order, nounsillabub, nounsimnel cake, nounsingle cream, nounsirloin, nounsitting, nounskimmed milk, nounskin, nounskin, verbslaw, nounslice, nounsliced bread, nounsloe, nounsloppy joe, nounsmorgasbord, nounsnack bar, nounsnow pea, nounsoda fountain, nounsodium chloride, nounsoft fruit, nounsorghum, nounsoul food, nounsour, adjectivesour, verbsourdough, nounsoya, nounsoya bean, nounspearmint, nounspinach, nounsponge, nounsponge cake, nounsponge pudding, nounspoon, verbspoonful, nounspotted dick, nounspread, nounspring onion, nounspring roll, nounsprout, nounspud, nounsquash, nounsquid, nounstaple, nounstarfruit, nounstarter, nounsteak, nounsteakhouse, nounsteak tartare, nounstew, nounstick, nounStilton, nounstir-fry, verbstodge, nounstone-ground, adjectivestrawberry, nounstring bean, nounstringy, adjectivestrudel, nounsub, nounsucrose, nounsuet, nounsugar, nounsugar, verbsugar-coated, adjectivesugar cube, nounsugar lump, nounsugary, adjectivesultana, nounsun-dried, adjectivesup, verbsupper, nounsustenance, nounswallow, verbswallow, nounswede, nounsweetcorn, nounsweetened condensed milk, nounsweetener, nounsweetmeat, nounsweet pepper, nounsweet potato, nounsyrup, nounsyrupy, adjectivetable d'hôte, nountaco, nountaffy, nountainted, adjectivetakeaway, nountakeout, nountangerine, nountapas, nountapioca, nountaramasalata, nountariff, nountart, nountartare sauce, nountaste, verbtasteless, adjectivetaster, nountasting, nountater, nountattie, nounT-bone steak, nountea, nounteacake, nountender, adjectivetin, nountinned, adjectivetitbit, nountoffee apple, nountofu, nountomato, nountongue, nountop, nountopping, nountop round, nountopside, nountop table, nountortilla, nountough, adjectivetransport cafe, nountreacle, nountrifle, nountripe, nountrotter, nountruck stop, nountruffle, nountub, nountuna, nounturkey, nounTurkish delight, nounturnip, nounturnover, nountutti frutti, nounTV dinner, nounTVP, noununadulterated, adjectiveunleavened, adjectiveunpalatable, adjectivevacuum-packed, adjectivevanilla, nounveal, nounvegan, nounvegetable, nounvegetarian, nounvegetarianism, nounveggie, nounvenison, nounvictual, verbvictuals, nounvoracious, adjectivevoucher, nounwaiter, nounwaitress, nounwalnut, noun-ware, suffixwarmed-over, adjectivewedge, nounwell, nounwell-done, adjectivewell-fed, adjectivewet fish, nounwheat, nounwhite, nounwhite flour, nounwhite pepper, nounwhite sauce, nounwholefood, nounwholemeal, adjectivewhole wheat, adjectivewiener, nounwild rice, nounwishbone, nounwrap, nounyeast extract, nounyoghurt, nounyogurt, nounyolk, nounyule log, nounyummy, adjectivezucchini, nounzwieback, noun
Collocations
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES
(=it stops working)
(=not give permission for a decision to be changed)· The taxpayer's appeal was dismissed and the penalty upheld.
(=say no to an application)· Their planning application was rejected because of a lack of parking facilities.
(=do something very well) I’ve got the early morning routine down to a fine art.
· Most companies have broken down the old barriers of status among the workers.
(=beat someone very easily)· He should be able to beat them all hands down.
(=it suddenly flies down)· The bird swoops down on its prey.
 The sun blazed down as we walked along the valley.
 Blow me down if she didn’t just run off!
 The boat bobbed gently up and down on the water.
 Stop bouncing up and down on the sofa.
 Come, let us bow down in worship.
· All the medieval buildings were torn down.
 Rose fell, landing with a bump.
 It took months for things to calm down after we had the baby.
· The car slowed down and stopped outside our house.
(=stops working because something is wrong with it)· On the way home on the motorway the car broke down.
 She blushed, casting her eyes down.
(=not accept or use an opportunity)· Imagine throwing up a chance to go to America!
 There was something in his tone that sent a chill down Melissa’s spine (=made her very frightened).
(=create one)· The syndicate decided to draw up a code of conduct for its members.
(also go down with a cold British English) informal (=catch one)· A lot of people go down with colds at this time of year.
 We need to come down hard on young offenders.
 I made the mistake of answering back, and she came down on me like a ton of bricks (=very severely).
 It all comes down to money in the end.
(=leave it)· Everyone was sorry when he stood down from the committee.
(=close the programs and stop it working)
(=is not working)
(=say what someone must agree to)· They laid down certain conditions before agreeing to the ceasefire.
· Coal consumption has fallen dramatically.
· If you go later in the year, it will bring down the cost of your holiday.
· Airline costs have fallen considerably.
British English (=to arrange to officially join a course)· How about enrolling on a sailing course?
 The police are cracking down hard on violent crime.
 A large branch came crashing down.
· A muddy ditch ran along the side of the field.
 We’ve almost got enough money to make a down payment on a house.
 Don’t let them drag you down to their level.
 The tobacco companies got a severe dressing-down.
(=drink it very quickly)· He downed his drink and stood up.
· The US economy is slowing down after a long period of growth.
(=be respected or admired more or less by someone)
(=people stop feeling excited)· The excitement after last month's elections is beginning to die down.
· The factory was closed down in 2006.
 The local authority is falling down on the job of keeping the streets clean.
 The boats were drifting farther and farther apart. a resort town farther up the coast
(=it burns less strongly)· The fire slowly died down.
(=burns less strongly)· By evening, the flames had gradually died down.
 She flushed the rest of her drink down the toilet.
(also the fog descends literary) (=it appears)· Day after day the fog came down.
 The effect will be to increase unemployment and force down wages.
· The forest was cut down to make way for housing.
 It might be a sign, much further down the road (=in the future), of a change in policy.
· Native Australians hand down stories and songs from generation to generation.
 Spending has gone down by 2%.
 The speech went down a treat with members (=members liked it very much).
 The idea went down like a lead balloon (=was not popular or successful).
 The carnival will go down in history (=be remembered for many years) as one of the best ever.
(=force it to lose power)· It was a major scandal that nearly brought down the government.
 Our book lays down the ground rules for building a patio successfully.
· Can you turn the heating down a bit?
· It's best to use a low gear when you are going down steep hills.
(=be remembered for many years)· She will go down in history as one of the greatest tennis players of all time.
· Average income fell by one third during this period.
· The government has promised to reduce inflation to 3%.· The government's top priority is to get inflation down to 2%.
(=keep it at a low level)· These policies will help to keep inflation down.
(also decline an invitation formal)· She turned down an invitation to take part in a televised debate.
(=keep a job)· He had never been able to hold down a job.
 Fans were jumping up and down (=jumping repeatedly) and cheering.
 The cats jumped down and came to meet us.
 Keep your voice down – she’ll hear you!
 Can you keep it down – I’m trying to work.
· He climbed the ladder up to the diving platform.
· Be careful going down the ladder!
· Dickson came up the ladder from the engine room.
· He leaned back in his chair and laughed till the tears ran down his face.
(=stops)· The laughter died instantly as Robert walked in.
 The terrorists were urged to lay down their arms.
 They are just about to start laying down tracks for their second album.
 She had been let down badly in the past.
British English (=disappoint a group of people that you belong to)
· Pollution levels have fallen slightly.
 I’m going upstairs to have a lie down.
(=die in order to save other people, or because of a strong belief)· These men gave their lives during the war to keep us free.
 There should be more direct discussion between managers and workers lower down the line.
 She pulled her hat low down over her eyes.
 There was a hole low down in the hedge.
(=ends because of disagreements)· Liz’s marriage broke up after only eight months.
(=comes to a place)· The mist came down like a curtain.
 I guess I’ll mosey on down to the store now.
· He was driving along the motorway at a steady sixty miles an hour.
· She lost her way as she went down the mountain.
(=stop because of disagreement)· The negotiations broke down over a dispute about working conditions.
 Let’s get down to the nitty-gritty and work out the costs.
(=write them down quickly)· The jurors were scribbling notes as the witness gave evidence.
· The number of new houses being built is falling steadily.
(=say no to it)· She declined the offer of a lift.
 I found Mark at the hospital, pacing restlessly up and down.
(=a small payment for something you are buying, when you will pay the rest later)· We were able to put a down payment on an apartment.
 It’s pelting down out there.
 She’s down to her last penny.
· I only remembered his name after I had put the phone down.
(=put it down hard, because you are angry)· I was so mad I just slammed the phone down.
· She sat down at the piano and began to play.
 The flavour was hard to pin down.
 Dad first went down the pit (=worked in a coal mine) when he was 15 years old.
(=lands safely on the ground)· As soon as the plane touched down on the runway, I felt better.
(=land it)· He ran out of fuel and had to bring the plane down on a road leading to the village.
· The guerrillas shot down an Israeli fighter plane.
 The White House spokeswoman sought to play down the significance of the event.
(=put it somewhere to kill an animal)· One way of getting rid of rats or mice is to put poison down.
· In real terms, the price of clothes has fallen over the last ten years.
(=describe a principle and make it accepted)· The report lays down general principles for the teaching of English.
· Pre-tax profits were up 21.5%.
· I think the quality has gone down over the years.
(=make it quieter or louder)· Can you turn your radio down a bit?
(=it falls)· If the rain starts coming down, we can always go inside.· The monsoon rain comes down in sheets.
(=a lot of rain comes down)· The rain was pouring down and I was quickly soaked.
(=it comes down fast)· The rain was now pelting down.
(also the rate falls/decreases more formal)· We are expecting unemployment rates to fall.
(=end it by force)· Troops moved in to suppress the rebellion.
· Initially, his resignation was rejected.· He offered his resignation but it was turned down by the prime minister.
(=end it by force)· The Russians speedily crushed the revolt.
(=become lower)· European sales have fallen by 12%.
· Bonuses are not paid to people lower down the salary scale.
· Some farmers prospered and moved up the social scale.
(=officially give someone a sentence)· The judge imposed a three-year sentence.
(=their value decreases)· Shares fell sharply on the London Stock Market yesterday.
 I tried to help, but all my suggestions were shot down in flames, as usual.
 The war has split the nation in two.
· The government sets standards that all hospitals must reach.
 Protection for the consumer is laid down by statute (=established by law).
 Terry stripped down to her bra and pants (=removed all her clothes except her bra and pants) and tried on the dress.
(=say that your success was the result of it)· They put their success down to their excellent teamwork.
informal (=suit someone very well)· Country life suits you down to the ground.
(=shines with a lot of light and heat)· The sun beats down on us as we work.
(=disappears at the end of the day)· It is a good place to sit and watch the sun go down.
· If your immune system breaks down, you will be vulnerable to infections.
· An alarm sounds a warning before the system breaks down.
(=stop because of disagreement)· Talks broke down today between the Russian and Japanese delegations.
(=suddenly start crying)· I broke down in tears when I read the letter.
· Oliver laughed until tears ran down his face.
· Before he could respond, she’d put down the telephone.
(=make it louder or quieter)· Rory had turned the television up so loud that the people next door complained.
 Her performance got the thumbs down from the critics.
 Josie’s already turned him down (=refused his offer of marriage).
· The government is spending more on projects to cut unemployment.
(=look at someone in order to judge their appearance or character) Maisie looked her rival up and down with a critical eye.
· There is a risk that the shares may fall in value.
(=not speak loudly)· Keep your voice down, they’ll hear you!
 Can you turn the volume up?
(=in the top or bottom half of your body) Lota was paralysed from the waist down.
 a watered-down version of the original
(=start crying)· As she watched his plane taxi away, she broke down and wept.
(=become thinner or stay thin)· How can I keep my weight down?
(=very easily or by a large amount)· Everyone expected Sam to win hands down.
(=becomes less strong)· The wind had dropped a little.
(=open or shut the window in a car)· Lucy rolled the window down and waved to him.
(=start work)· They set to work cutting down trees and brushwood.
 Brenda jumped in the car and zoomed off.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADVERB
· The commissioner still thinks of himself as the boss, capable of putting a foot down here or there.· Yeah, not too many guineas down here.· I want you down here where I can keep an eye on you.
· Is there anyone else down there?· She died and they put me in an orphanage. Down there at Toner Institute.· Petey was an eyewitness to the fight down there, Lois had reasoned.
NOUN
· The inflation rate for 1996 was 2. 1 percent, down from 2. 4 percent the previous year.· The 10-year Treasury note recently yielded 5. 54 percent, down from 5. 77 percent a week ago.· Fixed mortgage rates averaged 7. 03 percent, down from 9. 15 percent a year ago.· Adjustable rates averaged 5. 43 percent, down from 6. 82 in January 1995.· Fifteen-year mortgage rates fell to 6. 53 percent, down from 6. 59 percent in the prior week.· The headline rate of inflation was 3. 1 percent in November, down from 3. 2 percent a month earlier.
· Underwater wrecks are strewn along the coast and downed planes and tanks emerge from the jungle overgrowth.· Airlines have separate insurance for the passengers and for the downed plane.· S.-fired missile downed the plane.
· But a half mile down the road after some other diversion, I lose him.· For the time being I park next to the students' cars down by the main road.
VERB
· I slid off the seat, keeping my eyes down, expecting to see a smear of red blood on the chair.· Presumably to keep the costs down, director Bert I.. Gordon shot real grasshoppers climbing up a postcard of the building.
· One whole day they stayed in Buchanan Street. Up and down with giggles and stares.· Around and about. Up and down, down and up, the usual story.
Phrases
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRY
  • After their workmate was sacked, the other machinists all downed tools until she was reinstated.
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
  • As she walked down the aisle her heart brimmed over with love and adoration for Charles.
  • He wanted to walk down the aisle with you and give you away to your young man.
  • Her mouth turned up at the corners, Mavis walked down the aisle with Walter.
  • Inspector Miskin was walking down the aisle.
  • Resplendent in red, she walks down the aisle on the arm of the Rev.
  • The wedding was off, because no way was she going to walk down the aisle looking like an eejit!
  • They looked at the passports and then started to walk down the aisle, pointing their guns at the passengers.
  • Together, they walked down the aisle behind the crucifix, toward the rear of the church.
  • The job sounds right up your alley.
  • She said, I will tell you this Bobby Kennedy is right up my alley.
  • Businesses are focused on survival - everyone's battening down the hatches.
  • A stillness which seemed to bear down on her like a physical presence.
  • Five or six men, horsed, masked and well-armed, burst from a clump of trees and bore down on them.
  • For those who find Christmas suddenly bearing down on them, the build-up to the day is one blur of activity.
  • His eyes bore down on me out of a somewhat hawklike face, and I immediately became flustered.
  • Meanwhile, the New Zealand Interislander Ferry is bearing down on us like a 350-foot long, 40-foot tall aquatic freight train.
  • The Pequod bears down on the area and comes between the whale and the floundering seamen.
  • These thoughts bear down on me as I sit here on this third night of writing.
  • Yussuf bore down on her in a fury.
► beat the door down
  • I beat him down and got the bracelet for $2.
  • The owners originally wanted $1000 for the horse, but George managed to beat them down to $850.
► beat somebody ↔ down► bed somebody/something ↔ down
  • In the end, the case will boil down to whether the jury believes Smith or not.
  • But by any measure, the Republican presidential campaign right now boils down to Dole and Forbes.
  • Honestly, it does all just boil down to the need to learn something.
  • It boils down to whether you think the extra features and quality are worth the extra money.
  • Love boils down to pheromones, it says.
  • Tackling these more stubborn obstacles will boil down to better schools and plain old dollars and cents.
  • The Grid boils down to only five behaviour patterns - the four extremes and the middle one.
  • The real problem boils down to identifying the nature of the problem itself.
  • To Smolan, the decision to leave so late in the game boiled down to quality.
► boil something ↔ down
  • And bowed down to resume his strange rump-in-the-air and face-in-the-sea posture.
  • Let peoples serve you, and nations bow down to you.
► get down to brass tacks► break something ↔ down► break something ↔ down► break something ↔ down
  • I'm already really busy today, and now Paul's breathing down my neck saying he wants the Paris deal completed.
  • I can't work with you breathing down my neck.
  • We'd better start sending out those letters soon -- I've had the sales manager breathing down my neck about it all week.
  • He would be breathing down your neck all the time.
  • Labour and the Liberal Democrats are breathing down his neck.
  • Maybe the Assistant Commissioner's wife was breathing down Maxham's neck.
  • The staff is breathing down your neck.
  • Give me a couple of minutes, will you? Brush yourself down while you're waiting.
► cash down► catch somebody with their pants/trousers down
  • When the chips were down, you felt he could handle the situation.
  • As you know, when the chips are down Leslie Bence comes out fighting.
  • It is disappointing to find that, when the chips are down, your paper is no better than the rest.
  • The implication, they fear, is that when the chips are down it is only rational human beings that really matter.
  • Outside it was chucking it down and the streets were deserted.
► close something ↔ down
  • I came down on the side of tax reform.
  • I have been criticised for coming down on the side of the second alternative.
  • Sheer orders of magnitude matter, and the orders of magnitude do not come down on the side of the real-balance effect.
  • We have to come down on the side of the snowy plover.
► be counting (down) the minutes/hours/days
  • Now I think we should bring down the curtain on this little episode, and go to bed.
► cut something ↔ down► cut somebody ↔ down► cut something ↔ down
  • The team wants to cut UCLA down to size.
  • History thus cuts man down to size by reminding him of his origins: its characteristic insight is hindsight.
  • Josh would soon cut Hank down to size.
  • To cut you down to size.
  • When the time came, he would cut him down to size.
  • Deep down, I think she's really very ambitious.
  • He pretends he doesn't care, but deep down I know he's very upset.
  • I always believed deep down that things would get better.
  • I kept pushing the team, but deep down I think I knew we wouldn't win.
  • I regret my divorce, because deep down I'm a very old-fashioned woman.
  • Yeah, sometimes he can be really nice and polite but, I tell you, deep down he's an animal!
  • Across the world, or two doors down the corridor.
  • Freda Berkeley misses her and another neighbour, the writer Patrick Kinross, who lived two doors away.
  • He thanked the colonel for the interview and returned doggedly to his pistol lessons in the basement range two doors away.
  • He tried the house opposite, and was told two doors down.
  • I took the keenest pleasure in expelling Phetlock from my old office, two doors down from the Oval.
  • Mr Potts and the matrons left them in the church and went to stay two doors away, in a hotel.
  • The guest room's two doors down the corridor.
  • The second was in another bin beside the Argos showroom two doors away.
  • Well, there's another fifty dollars down the drain.
  • And she would die in the bathtub, her blood going down the drain.
  • Dietitians responded by telling cooks to dump yolks down the drain and use the cholesterol-free whites.
  • It foreclosed on the mortgages, and the mill went down the drain.
  • It may help to twist drain rods when pushing them down the drain.
  • Male speaker I fear that safety standards will go down the drain as people seek to make most profit.
  • Pour it down the drains if necessary.
  • There are fears of family life going down the drain, as staff may get only two complete weekends off in seven.
  • You might as well take money and shovel it down the drain.
► dress somebody ↔ down
  • If you're feeling down in the dumps, come over and have a chat.
  • Mom's kind of down in the dumps at the moment -- why don't you buy her something to cheer her up?
  • But his company is still down in the dumps.
  • She supposed she was feeling a bit down in the dumps, apprehensive too about celebrating Christmas Day at the Danbys.
  • We can't have you down in the dumps like this.
  • You sound pretty down in the dumps.
  • Adai can come back to Earth after Gog is dead - after I am dead, perhaps.
  • AIr travellers came down to earth with a bump yesterday when they joined in some charity aerobics.
  • In Karuzi you quickly come down to earth.
  • Maybe, but the once pricey products that use this satellite technology have come down to earth.
  • Peter Lilley came down to earth.
  • They recently have come down to Earth.
  • A man lay face down, feet toward the center, head away from it.
  • Gently, he brought his face down on to Joe's and kissed him on his lips.
  • I set my book face down on the chair and followed after him.
  • I was lying face down on the ground.
  • Larry Flynt presents the infamous pornographer as a likable slob who faced down the big guys and won.
  • On return to Earth the orbiter orients itself so that the underside is facing down and slightly forwards.
  • Side by side, the two men lay face down in the grass, feet toward the rear of the pale car.
  • Her nappy was so wet it was falling down her legs.
  • It is not that they are falling down drunk at. 08.
  • Something, or some one, was falling down the hillside.
  • Technically he is excellent but you have noticed that he is falling down on the supervisory aspects of his job.
  • The attorney general is supposed to act only when the law enforcement is falling down or broken down in a local community.
  • The house is falling down around our ears.
  • There was a long pause, then, before it observed that some-thing was falling down toward it from the orbiting ship.
  • They liked us at first because they thought we would like be falling down glad to have them as neighbors.
► get something down to a fine art
  • Ed was talking about dropping out of school, but Mom and Dad put their foot down.
  • I wanted to take a year off before college, but my mother put her foot down.
  • You'd better put your foot down before those kids get completely out of control.
  • I put my feet down carefully.
  • I put my foot down and the car began to move forward.
  • Justice puts its foot down on Oxie.
  • Later still My silly wee sister has put her feet down and refuses to let me near her Power Pack.
  • Rice, however, put his foot down and made what he called his first policy decision.
  • She didn't answer, just put her foot down and sent the Cortina faster and faster through the night.
  • They could have put their foot down and dragged us into court.
  • We were nearing the camp, so I aimed for the ruts in the track and put my foot down.
  • At this point Morag Harkness, Sales Manager threw down the gauntlet and challenged the guys to a netball match.
  • Cerda interviewed those named in his testimony, including Wally Fuentes Morrison, and then threw down the gauntlet to Pinochet.
  • Fresh from their success they have thrown down the gauntlet to the rest of the Group.
  • It's going on five years since Earl Woods threw down the gauntlet and the snickering has stopped.
  • The endless rain was beginning to get him down.
  • You can tell me if there's anything that's worrying you or getting you down.
► get something ↔ down► get something down (somebody)
  • It went down a treat with the matrons in safe seats like South-west Surrey.
  • It seems to be going down a treat.
  • We went down the shops on Saturdays.
  • Chat rooms on the Internet are a place we can let our hair down and say what we think.
  • I spotted Juanita really letting her hair down on the dance floor.
  • Playing softball is just a good way to let your hair down and have fun.
  • You can really let your hair down and do what you want at the club.
  • Among the many booksellers and publishers whom I spotted letting their hair down on the dance floor was independent publisher Christopher Hurst.
  • He liked this: what his pub was all about, for people to let their hair down.
  • In the second half Complicite let their hair down in their own inimitable way.
  • Man's got ta let his hair down.
  • Out in the pasture, the princess let her hair down.
  • This was the day our friends let their hair down and spoke with amazing frankness.
  • We know when we can afford to let our hair down and when we can't.
  • As he would reach up for it, she would stick the spoon in her mouth and then pull her hands down.
  • Caroline strode to the windows and plumped her hands down on the sill.
  • I pulled my hands down toward her knees.
  • If an election had been held then, San Francisco would have won hands down.
  • If size is a factor in this, Xerox has succeeded hands down.
  • The answer is light, hands down.
  • The twin arms of that mechanical gibbet forced his hands down into the liquid, which sizzled and steamed.
  • You then bring your hands down and show that the birds have flown.
  • Just a few months earlier, the Supreme Court had handed down a decision inviting states to pass abortion restrictions.
  • She is expected soon to hand down a ruling.
  • The commission will seek to arbitrate a resolution before handing down a decision in late summer.
  • After all, up the lads and down the hatch.
  • Nirvana Inc battened down the hatches and made to ride out the storm.
  • The chain has battened down the hatches in the face of the storms.
  • He simply puts his head down and keeps on scoring goals - lots of them.
  • He was as cranky as a bad-tempered goat, always putting his head down and charging into things that annoyed him.
  • I put my head down and kept stroking.
  • I put my head down into my hands and absented myself mentally.
  • Instead of putting his head down and charging, Balshaw chipped and chased.
  • When I saw him in court he was crying, and so was I.. He put his head down.
  • You chuck down three of them, and then put your head down on your desk.
  • But real life, of course, teaches lesser men to keep their heads down and their mouths shut.
  • Carla kept her head down as she approached the front door, glancing up briefly when the two officers introduced them-selves.
  • Even his most bitter opponents are keeping their heads down.
  • He kept his head down under fire, avoided trouble, trusted in luck to keep him alive.
  • I have pain in my left shoulder when I keep my head down or in moving my left arm a lot.
  • I kept my head down and pretended to be consuming the scraps left on my dish.
  • I kept my head down and the heavy bag well to the fore as a protective shield.
  • It was good advice to keep my head down in the early months.
  • 1989 will go down in history as the year in which Stalinist Communism ended.
  • This Minister will go down in history as the Minister who killed off small shops in Britain.
► hit somebody when they are down
  • Clarke holds down two jobs to support his family.
  • Kelly wants to prove to his father that he can hold down a job.
  • But if you are schizophrenic, you can not think straight, concentrate, hold down a job.
  • During the day they held down jobs as, respectively, a waitress and delivery driver.
  • Frye was expounding on the dangers of holding down a job while taking a full load of courses.
  • People with long-term mental disorder have many problems in holding down a job.
  • Rella could hold down jobs, when she wanted to.
  • Who would employ her and how would she hold down a job?
  • Sinatra brought the house down when he sang "New York, New York."
  • She nearly brought the house down when I scrounged another biscuit and put her through her repertoire of tricks.
  • The Great One almost brought the house down in his return to Southern California.
  • This comeback brought the house down.
  • Topping the bill was Dangerous Dan the fire eater, but it was the finish that brought the house down.
  • I was just asking a question. You don't have to jump down my throat!
  • The newspapers cannot resist kicking a man when he is down.
► knock somebody ↔ down► knock somebody ↔ down► knock something ↔ down► knock something ↔ down
  • But prolonged recession and high unemployment knocked his popularity down to rock-bottom.
  • Rose recommended knocking it down to $ 15, 000 and the supes agreed.
  • If Bob starts laying down the law, just tell him to shut up.
  • Parents need to lay down the law regarding how much TV their children watch.
  • By eleven o'clock I was standing in front of Patterson's desk laying down the law.
  • It is unfortunate that Mrs Gardner's thoroughness did not extend to laying down the law about insurance.
  • MacFarland said I would do well in his class and laid down the law about doing well in the others.
  • Ron, too, was laying down the law.
  • She would lay down the laws.
  • Steadily I disappointed Paquita, who believed it was my job to lay down the law with Clarisa.
  • They made a move for the piano, but we laid down the law and soon redirected their energy to sightseeing.
  • Well, there was nothing for it, I had to lay down the law in no uncertain terms.
  • He considered it a privilege to lay down his life for his country.
  • He remembered the words of Izz Huett: She would have laid down her life for you.
  • I would lay down my life for it.
  • They had true grievances to settle and were ready to lay down their lives for vengeance.
► go down like a lead balloon
  • Among the many booksellers and publishers whom I spotted letting their hair down on the dance floor was independent publisher Christopher Hurst.
  • He liked this: what his pub was all about, for people to let their hair down.
  • In the second half Complicite let their hair down in their own inimitable way.
  • Man's got ta let his hair down.
  • Out in the pasture, the princess let her hair down.
  • This was the day our friends let their hair down and spoke with amazing frankness.
  • We know when we can afford to let our hair down and when we can't.
  • Never let your guard down was the only solace he offered.
  • We must not let our defences down, Mrs Thatcher and other cautious voices would argue.
► let somebody down lightly/gently
  • We are not going to take this verdict lying down. There will be protests.
  • And, on yer bike: The charity rider who's taking it all lying down.
  • But Will took it lying down - all in a good cause of course.
  • Carl however was too active mentally to take this lying down.
  • Mr Estrada has not taken the storm lying down.
  • Perhaps you're not a person to take criticism lying down and you have had some sharp exchanges with your friend.
  • The Socialists, though, are not taking it lying down.
  • They're not taking it lying down.
  • They are not taking things lying down as many other Third World people tend to do.
  • And Caminiti dunked a two-run double down the line in right.
  • As the couple passed on down the line, George quickly approached the man.
  • He loves his back-seat role, moving quietly up and down the lines, constantly persuading and cajoling.
  • I would, I would probably do the same thing were I you know, another generation down the line.
  • Otherwise he'd have been down the line after us like a shot.
  • Sherman wanted nothing less seven years down the line, when he was forty-five.
  • The thing I try to do in that situation is flick my bat and start jogging down the line.
  • I can go in a shirt and jeans and no one looks down his nose at me.
  • Besides, I didn't fancy going to the Chapel and having all the family looking down their noses at me.
  • But I was not one to look down my nose at shabbiness.
  • Don't look down their noses at you.
  • Never had any man so looked down his nose at her.
  • No more will I look down my nose at whining, spineless malcontents.
  • Normally she looked down her nose at men and then ignored them unless they needed the sharp edge of her tongue.
  • One who doesn't look down her nose at anybody.
  • We looked down our noses at this pair of student hicks.
  • "Don't be silly - you don't need to lose weight," he said, looking her up and down.
  • The hotel manager slowly looked the old man up and down and then asked him to leave.
  • Every day after the first two weeks I would look anxiously up and down the road, hoping to see their car.
  • Raul looked him up and down, eyes opened wide with derision.
  • Ron Barton looked her up and down.
  • She looked him up and down.
  • She stood there, looking Sherman up and down, as if she were angry.
  • The eaters were lo-cals; they looked us up and down when we went in.
  • The guy looked him up and down and then something clicked.
  • Here, parents who are down on their luck can pick out toys for their children.
  • In the film, Williams plays a down-on-his luck salesman whose wife has left him.
  • The program is for motivated people who are temporarily down on their luck.
  • We bought the necklace from an old man who was down on his luck and in need of a penny or two.
  • All were down on their luck, all had been drinking and all had decided on an easy way out.
  • Families that were down on their luck could get a small loan, food, a job referral.
  • He was down on his luck and not a happy hedgehog.
► kick/hit a man when he’s down► put/lay/set down a marker
  • So if anyone wants company for a walk down Memory Lane, I will gladly go with them.
  • The doctor calls it a panic attack, I call it a trip down memory lane for big bro.
  • This will be a trip down memory lane for the right hon. Gentleman.
  • The vote was split right down the middle.
  • We split you down the middle.
  • Why do you look so down in the mouth today?
  • He was no longer down in the mouth.
  • I have, as you know, been slightly down in the mouth.
  • Peter saw him the other night, Max, said he looked very down in the mouth.
► nail somebody down
  • Men and horses went down like ninepins before them, in a tangle of waving limbs, flailing hooves and broken lances.
  • The Mimosa is going down the pan faster than Dynorod could.
  • No harm in taking Evans down a peg.
  • Job opportunities like this don't come down the pike that often.
  • Our image as a bunch of bumpkins who roll over for anything that comes down the pike?
► it is pissing down (with rain)
  • He was built like a brick shithouse and he plonked himself down right in front of the stage.
  • Stanley plopped down on the sofa beside me.
  • Carefully, slowly, not at all certain why, they plopped down on to the branch.
  • On our other side a young couple wandered by and plopped down with only a six-pack and a sleeping bag.
  • Our friend Joan strolls into the bank and plops down $ 100 to open an account.
  • She plopped down too much mortar, smoothed it out and set a brick on it.
  • She plops down on the empty cot and lifts a curtain to peer out the window.
  • The coyote returned to the barn end and plopped down in front of the crowd of llamas.
► go down the plughole
  • Peggy plumped down in the chair beside Otto.
  • Americans love to plunk themselves down in front of the TV.
  • I plunk down a dollar and confront my deepest fears.
  • Marketers usually plunk down the equivalent of $ 40, 000 or so in cash, goods or services for placement.
  • The beverage giant wants you to plunk down your money and decide for yourself.
► pull something ↔ down► pull down something► pull somebody down
  • I could not pull down a menu.
  • The pull down menus make the game easy to play and the smooth animation help keep the interest of younger players.
  • The program has a pull down menu interface for ease of use.
  • The program uses pull down menus and is easy to follow.
  • As the stage approached, I put one down and waved violently.
  • Culley put the phone down, then dialled Mike Dawson's number.
  • He asked two questions and put the phone down.
  • I did not want to put it down.
  • Minna put the letter down and shuddered.
  • Parents may carry her around constantly afraid to put her down for fear she will burst into tears again.
  • She put her drink down on the bar.
  • When I put that phone down, I was in tears.
► put somebody down for £5/£20 etc► put it down to experience
  • As the stage approached, I put one down and waved violently.
  • Culley put the phone down, then dialled Mike Dawson's number.
  • He asked two questions and put the phone down.
  • I did not want to put it down.
  • Minna put the letter down and shuddered.
  • Parents may carry her around constantly afraid to put her down for fear she will burst into tears again.
  • She put her drink down on the bar.
  • When I put that phone down, I was in tears.
  • As the stage approached, I put one down and waved violently.
  • Culley put the phone down, then dialled Mike Dawson's number.
  • He asked two questions and put the phone down.
  • I did not want to put it down.
  • Minna put the letter down and shuddered.
  • Parents may carry her around constantly afraid to put her down for fear she will burst into tears again.
  • She put her drink down on the bar.
  • When I put that phone down, I was in tears.
  • As the stage approached, I put one down and waved violently.
  • Culley put the phone down, then dialled Mike Dawson's number.
  • He asked two questions and put the phone down.
  • I did not want to put it down.
  • Minna put the letter down and shuddered.
  • Parents may carry her around constantly afraid to put her down for fear she will burst into tears again.
  • She put her drink down on the bar.
  • When I put that phone down, I was in tears.
  • My father's father, a soldier in the Black Watch, had helped put down a rebellion one Easter in Dublin.
  • As the stage approached, I put one down and waved violently.
  • Culley put the phone down, then dialled Mike Dawson's number.
  • He asked two questions and put the phone down.
  • I did not want to put it down.
  • Minna put the letter down and shuddered.
  • Parents may carry her around constantly afraid to put her down for fear she will burst into tears again.
  • She put her drink down on the bar.
  • When I put that phone down, I was in tears.
  • As the stage approached, I put one down and waved violently.
  • Culley put the phone down, then dialled Mike Dawson's number.
  • He asked two questions and put the phone down.
  • I did not want to put it down.
  • Minna put the letter down and shuddered.
  • Parents may carry her around constantly afraid to put her down for fear she will burst into tears again.
  • She put her drink down on the bar.
  • When I put that phone down, I was in tears.
  • After I have put the phone down I sit gazing at Kyle on the opposite side of the airwell.
  • After she had put the phone down, she felt in a daze.
  • And he had just put the phone down on the only man who could ruin it all for him.
  • Be brisk, polite, and put the phone down.
  • Culley put the phone down, then dialled Mike Dawson's number.
  • He put the phone down and listened to its ringing - its machine persistence.
  • He put the phone down in the dining room.
  • He put the phone down on the cradle and stared at it.
  • As the stage approached, I put one down and waved violently.
  • Culley put the phone down, then dialled Mike Dawson's number.
  • He asked two questions and put the phone down.
  • I did not want to put it down.
  • Minna put the letter down and shuddered.
  • Parents may carry her around constantly afraid to put her down for fear she will burst into tears again.
  • She put her drink down on the bar.
  • When I put that phone down, I was in tears.
  • It's such a good book that I couldn't put it down.
  • What an amazing book! I just couldn't put it down.
  • As the stage approached, I put one down and waved violently.
  • Culley put the phone down, then dialled Mike Dawson's number.
  • He asked two questions and put the phone down.
  • I did not want to put it down.
  • Minna put the letter down and shuddered.
  • Parents may carry her around constantly afraid to put her down for fear she will burst into tears again.
  • She put her drink down on the bar.
  • When I put that phone down, I was in tears.
► put down a motion/an amendment► rain (down) blows/blows rain down
  • His teeth were even and white, and Bernice wanted to ram them down his throat.
  • Jess felt like ramming it down his throat.
  • At one spot along the road, a lone flower escaped the flames that poured through the Three Bar Wildlife Area.
  • How far down the road of cutbacks do bank management want to go?
  • Lily shot a quick horrified look up and down the road.
  • No car had come down the road for a while.
  • There's a nice place down the road.
  • Well, we want to let you know that a new church is opening just down the road from you.
  • They mustn't go down this road again, it could only lead to disaster.
► roll a window down
  • Just as I was putting down roots, our family had to move up north.
  • For Ada, putting down roots opens a new life of discipline and learning.
  • However, now that they had family responsibilities and were beginning to put down roots, they returned to their former church-going.
  • I was going to put down roots, achieve something, give meaning to my existence.
  • In their place, developers are building upscale subdivisions that tend to cater to newcomers less willing to put down roots.
  • It puts down roots 10 feet deep, easily withstanding drought and even frequent fires.
  • Meanwhile, people who might want to put down roots in the community are finding it prohibitively expensive.
  • She's had 8 quarters, so it's hard to put down roots.
  • What better way to put down roots, and what more suitable time than in the spring?
► run down something► run somebody/something down► run somebody/something ↔ down► run somebody/something ↔ down
  • The workers were promised that they would not lose their jobs as a result of the merger. Later they found out that they had been sold down the river.
  • Stephen King's novels have sent shivers up readers' spines for more than 20 years.
  • He kicked her sending shivers up her spine; again she yelped, and everything turned black.
  • We both kept waiting for the moment when the experience would overwhelm us and send chills up our spines.
► send something ↔ down► send somebody down
  • Afterwards in the pub some one told me he would probably be sent down.
  • He was sent down from Eton in 1863 for a few months for having made a forbidden visit to a Jesuit house.
  • He was sent down South to live with his grandparents when he was in second grade.
  • I was using regular for about two years after that until I was sent down.
  • Much of the iron was sent down the valleys for export through Cardiff and Newport.
  • Police divers were sent down to check the vessel's hull for possible sabotage.
  • There seems every possibility that Trev Proby will be sent down in the near future.
  • As she settled back down it continued to cook and burst into flames.
  • At that time, diesel prices in California spiked briefly, but settled back down by the end of that year.
  • Before she could say any more, he settled the helmet down over his head and fastened the strap.
  • Find a doctor, maybe; something to settle him down.
  • He settled his weight down on the step beside her and dwelt anxiously on her state.
  • He nods stiffly, then settles his chin down on his chest, scowling.
  • Try to settle the puppy down here before going to bed.
  • We wound up taking him for long rides in the car to settle him down.
► shake somebody ↔ down► shake somebody/something ↔ down
  • Craig shinned down the rope to where we were standing.
  • I locked myself out of the house and had to shinny up a drainpipe to get in.
  • We watched as small boys shinned up palm trees and brought coconuts down.
  • Boys and girls shinned up trees to 10p off branches.
  • But can not phone him from Twills as Mr Twill would insist on shinning up drainpipe himself and break femur.
  • Dave shinned up a handy conifer.
  • He nodded encouragement to his fellows, and they shinned up after him and dropped down into the stockade.
  • Maintenance men could tell whether a pole - wooden or concrete - is dangerously cracked before shinning up it.
  • No fire-escape, no convenient drainpipe anyone could shin up.
  • Nothing as cheap as an open window or shinning down a drainpipe at midnight or down paying a suitcase full of bricks.
  • The animal was so tame that it shinned up his leg and dived into a deep pocket.
  • His brother was eight and spent two days learning how to shinny up to the office.
  • The boy panicked and tried more desperately to shinny up the mast.
► shut somebody ↔ down
  • Brown was constantly letting the side down.
  • Essentially, it's the ageing drivetrain that lets the side down.
  • I don't want to let the side down - don't send me to the Sick Room!
  • It is an unmentionable subject, a terrible way of letting the side down.
► criticize/nag/hassle somebody up one side and down the other► sit somebody down
  • First we should sit down and work out the financing.
  • But I found I could just sit down and play by ear.
  • He sat down and pushed at the lid with one filthy paw.
  • Something that makes you want to sit down and take notice.
  • The harvesters stopped work, sat down and started to eat and drink.
  • The Springboks sat down and waited.
  • Then she sat down and started to eat.
  • Then the Kuchas sat down and ate the fish in his honor.
  • We can all sit down and analyze.
  • Nearly 1,000 fans staged a sit-down protest calling for Branfoot's head, despite the victory sealed by Richard Hall's header.
► down south
  • Gabriel had the window wide open and was standing there looking down at him.
  • He stands looking down at me.
  • He stood looking down at Tibbles, breathing heavily.
  • He walked slowly over to the door, and stood looking down at her.
  • Jane crossed to the windows and stood staring down into the street.
  • Then he stood looking down at Tim Reagan.
► go down the Swanee
  • But my brokers were complaining that I was shoving them down their throats.
  • His teeth were even and white, and Bernice wanted to ram them down his throat.
  • Jess felt like ramming it down his throat.
  • The agents poured pepper sauce down their nostrils, or forced water down their throats.
  • Torrents of lava would not tumble out to force fire down his throat, torch his tongue.
  • At this stage, the urge to do something was unfocused, but it was extraordinary how people threw themselves into it.
  • Grief-stricken, he threw himself on her.
  • He kicked it in, threw himself on the floor and rolled under the bed.
  • I threw myself down on the bed and sobbed bitterly.
  • I threw myself into organising the funeral, picking out the music I wanted played.
  • Like Billy McFadzean who in 1916 threw himself on two bombs to save his comrades in the trenches of the Somme.
  • They threw themselves down on the street or took shelter behind cars and in doorways.
  • You put him in a situation where women are throwing themselves at him.
  • But the docs just gave me the thumbs up.
  • East Kilbride celebrates as tyre plant proposal given the thumbs down.
  • I can see it now: In toga and laurel wreath, Big Al will give the thumbs up or thumbs down.
  • In Grampian, 80 percent. of general practitioners gave it the thumbs down.
  • London movie-goers gave Glengarry Glen Ross, about cut-throat estate agents, the thumbs up this week.
  • The Dole campaign has not yet given the thumbs up, preferring to wait for the results of Super Tuesday.
  • The question, which had been popped earlier on the stadium's electronic scoreboard, got the thumbs up.
  • Top analysts gave it the thumbs up and prices took off.
► it’s tipping (it) down► come down on somebody like a ton of bricks
  • It seems to be going down a treat.
  • It went down a treat with the matrons in safe seats like South-west Surrey.
  • The who experiment could go down the tubes.
  • Soon her marriage came tumbling down.
  • And the marriage comes tumbling down as Roth, like a Roth hero, demands to become unbound from marital ties.
  • Another set of walls comes tumbling down.
  • As the Holy Spirit filled me, the barriers came tumbling down.
  • He watched a huge white mountain collapse and come tumbling down on him.
  • One wrong move, we realized with horror, and the doors could come tumbling down.
  • The statues came tumbling down all over the Soviet Union.
  • Then the stage came tumbling down.
  • There is a loud clatter as a stack of circuit boards comes tumbling down.
  • I want you kids to stop running up and down in the hall.
  • All night he parades up and down the bar like a brawny old cockerel.
  • He went down early each morning and jumped up and down in the briny, enjoying every minute of it.
  • If you build your jig slightly larger than your posts it will slide up and down more easily.
  • She opened doors, walked up and down, inspected rooms.
  • The old woman nodded, left and right and up and down.
  • The whole place reverberated with noise, feet pounding up and down stairs, children yelling, women shouting, doors banging.
  • Two dancers in harness are walking up and down the pole.
  • When the Goldwater scholarship was announced this spring, Flores jumped up and down, not for joy, but from surprise.
  • We had a lot of ups and downs in our marriage.
  • Eachuinn Odhar had his ups and downs, but more downs than ups.
  • If you're prepared to take a five-year view, these ups and downs are worth enduring.
  • Most older people cope with the ups and downs of their daily lives.
  • Relearning is a longer, gradual process with ups and downs and it is too easy just to give up.
  • There have been ups and downs of course.
  • There have been ups and downs, yes, but on the whole my fortunes have grown.
  • We need to hold tenaciously to our commitment to talk over the ups and downs of our days.
  • A distorted religion has turned the world upside down, denying that anything ever existed before itself.
  • I turn the box upside down and bring it out empty.
  • The girl was turning everything upside down.
  • The history of implants has been equally painful; implants can shift or turn themselves upside down.
  • They studied the map for a while, scratched their heads, turned it upside down and studied it some more.
  • We could turn the glass upside down and sideways without having the water pour out because air pressure pushes in all directions.
  • Yet with an appealing brew of nationalism and promise of democratic reform, Kostunica has since turned Yugoslav politics upside down.
► down your/London etc way► wear somebody ↔ down► wind something ↔ down► wind something ↔ down
  • We were in a couple of games that went right down to the wire.
  • In the event the starting line-up went down to the wire.
  • It is down to the wire.
► go up/come down in the world
1to drink or eat something quickly:  He downed the coffee in one gulp.2to knock or force someone to the ground:  O'Malley downed his opponent in the first round.3down tools British English to stop working, especially because you are taking part in a strike (=protest about pay or conditions by stopping work)
down1 adverb, preposition, adjectivedown2 verbdown3 noun
downdown3 noun Examples
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
  • a down comforter
  • Bring a down jacket and a pair of gloves, and you'll be fine.
  • In the second quarter, he sprinted up the field 13 yards for a first down.
EXAMPLES FROM THE CORPUS
  • Across the fields towards the downs is the disused Wilts and Berks Canal.
  • As a result, some aspects of Hollywood history are magnified in the ups and downs of his career.
  • They also blitzed continually on first and second downs, putting the Raiders in more predictable, long-yardage situations.
  • They averaged more than six yards a play, and they picked up nine first downs.
Thesaurus
THESAURUSActions when using a computer
to make a computer start working: · I’m having problems starting up my computer.
to start using a computer system by typing your name and password: · He logged on and read his emails.
to press a button on a computer mouse to choose a program, file etc from the screen: · When you click on the link, it sends you to the company’s website.
to add new software to a computer so that the software is ready to be used: · All users should install anti-virus software.
to move information, pictures, or music from the Internet onto your computer: · You can download MP3 files.
to move information, pictures, or music from your computer to a different computer across the Internet: · Sites such as YouTube allow you to upload your own videos.
to make a file or program ready to use: · Open a new file and type in the information.
to move information on a computer screen up or down so that you can read it: · Scroll down to read the questions and answers.
to type information into a computer: · The program requires you to enter a password.
to remove information from a computer: · I’ve deleted his email.· When you delete a file, it first gets moved to the recycle bin.
to remove information from one place and put it in another place: · Tutors are looking out for students who cut and paste their essays from the Internet.
to make a computer keep the work that you have done on it: · Make sure you save any work you do before you shut the computer down.
to stop having a file or program ready to use: · To close the window, click on the ‘X’ in the top right-hand corner of the screen.
to stop using a computer system by giving it particular instructions: · I get an error message when I log off.
to make a computer stop working: · Employees should shut their computers down at the end of each day.
to make a computer start working again: · Wait a few minutes before rebooting your computer.
WORD SETS
down, nounend zone, nounfield goal, nounfootball, noungridiron, nounhalfback, nounhuddle, nounin-bounds, adverblinebacker, nounline of scrimmage, nounpigskin, nounpunt, nounpunt, verbpunter, nounquarterback, nounreceiver, nounsack, verbsafety, nountackle, nountailgate party, nounyardage, noun
Collocations
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES
(=it stops working)
(=not give permission for a decision to be changed)· The taxpayer's appeal was dismissed and the penalty upheld.
(=say no to an application)· Their planning application was rejected because of a lack of parking facilities.
(=do something very well) I’ve got the early morning routine down to a fine art.
· Most companies have broken down the old barriers of status among the workers.
(=beat someone very easily)· He should be able to beat them all hands down.
(=it suddenly flies down)· The bird swoops down on its prey.
 The sun blazed down as we walked along the valley.
 Blow me down if she didn’t just run off!
 The boat bobbed gently up and down on the water.
 Stop bouncing up and down on the sofa.
 Come, let us bow down in worship.
· All the medieval buildings were torn down.
 Rose fell, landing with a bump.
 It took months for things to calm down after we had the baby.
· The car slowed down and stopped outside our house.
(=stops working because something is wrong with it)· On the way home on the motorway the car broke down.
 She blushed, casting her eyes down.
(=not accept or use an opportunity)· Imagine throwing up a chance to go to America!
 There was something in his tone that sent a chill down Melissa’s spine (=made her very frightened).
(=create one)· The syndicate decided to draw up a code of conduct for its members.
(also go down with a cold British English) informal (=catch one)· A lot of people go down with colds at this time of year.
 We need to come down hard on young offenders.
 I made the mistake of answering back, and she came down on me like a ton of bricks (=very severely).
 It all comes down to money in the end.
(=leave it)· Everyone was sorry when he stood down from the committee.
(=close the programs and stop it working)
(=is not working)
(=say what someone must agree to)· They laid down certain conditions before agreeing to the ceasefire.
· Coal consumption has fallen dramatically.
· If you go later in the year, it will bring down the cost of your holiday.
· Airline costs have fallen considerably.
British English (=to arrange to officially join a course)· How about enrolling on a sailing course?
 The police are cracking down hard on violent crime.
 A large branch came crashing down.
· A muddy ditch ran along the side of the field.
 We’ve almost got enough money to make a down payment on a house.
 Don’t let them drag you down to their level.
 The tobacco companies got a severe dressing-down.
(=drink it very quickly)· He downed his drink and stood up.
· The US economy is slowing down after a long period of growth.
(=be respected or admired more or less by someone)
(=people stop feeling excited)· The excitement after last month's elections is beginning to die down.
· The factory was closed down in 2006.
 The local authority is falling down on the job of keeping the streets clean.
 The boats were drifting farther and farther apart. a resort town farther up the coast
(=it burns less strongly)· The fire slowly died down.
(=burns less strongly)· By evening, the flames had gradually died down.
 She flushed the rest of her drink down the toilet.
(also the fog descends literary) (=it appears)· Day after day the fog came down.
 The effect will be to increase unemployment and force down wages.
· The forest was cut down to make way for housing.
 It might be a sign, much further down the road (=in the future), of a change in policy.
· Native Australians hand down stories and songs from generation to generation.
 Spending has gone down by 2%.
 The speech went down a treat with members (=members liked it very much).
 The idea went down like a lead balloon (=was not popular or successful).
 The carnival will go down in history (=be remembered for many years) as one of the best ever.
(=force it to lose power)· It was a major scandal that nearly brought down the government.
 Our book lays down the ground rules for building a patio successfully.
· Can you turn the heating down a bit?
· It's best to use a low gear when you are going down steep hills.
(=be remembered for many years)· She will go down in history as one of the greatest tennis players of all time.
· Average income fell by one third during this period.
· The government has promised to reduce inflation to 3%.· The government's top priority is to get inflation down to 2%.
(=keep it at a low level)· These policies will help to keep inflation down.
(also decline an invitation formal)· She turned down an invitation to take part in a televised debate.
(=keep a job)· He had never been able to hold down a job.
 Fans were jumping up and down (=jumping repeatedly) and cheering.
 The cats jumped down and came to meet us.
 Keep your voice down – she’ll hear you!
 Can you keep it down – I’m trying to work.
· He climbed the ladder up to the diving platform.
· Be careful going down the ladder!
· Dickson came up the ladder from the engine room.
· He leaned back in his chair and laughed till the tears ran down his face.
(=stops)· The laughter died instantly as Robert walked in.
 The terrorists were urged to lay down their arms.
 They are just about to start laying down tracks for their second album.
 She had been let down badly in the past.
British English (=disappoint a group of people that you belong to)
· Pollution levels have fallen slightly.
 I’m going upstairs to have a lie down.
(=die in order to save other people, or because of a strong belief)· These men gave their lives during the war to keep us free.
 There should be more direct discussion between managers and workers lower down the line.
 She pulled her hat low down over her eyes.
 There was a hole low down in the hedge.
(=ends because of disagreements)· Liz’s marriage broke up after only eight months.
(=comes to a place)· The mist came down like a curtain.
 I guess I’ll mosey on down to the store now.
· He was driving along the motorway at a steady sixty miles an hour.
· She lost her way as she went down the mountain.
(=stop because of disagreement)· The negotiations broke down over a dispute about working conditions.
 Let’s get down to the nitty-gritty and work out the costs.
(=write them down quickly)· The jurors were scribbling notes as the witness gave evidence.
· The number of new houses being built is falling steadily.
(=say no to it)· She declined the offer of a lift.
 I found Mark at the hospital, pacing restlessly up and down.
(=a small payment for something you are buying, when you will pay the rest later)· We were able to put a down payment on an apartment.
 It’s pelting down out there.
 She’s down to her last penny.
· I only remembered his name after I had put the phone down.
(=put it down hard, because you are angry)· I was so mad I just slammed the phone down.
· She sat down at the piano and began to play.
 The flavour was hard to pin down.
 Dad first went down the pit (=worked in a coal mine) when he was 15 years old.
(=lands safely on the ground)· As soon as the plane touched down on the runway, I felt better.
(=land it)· He ran out of fuel and had to bring the plane down on a road leading to the village.
· The guerrillas shot down an Israeli fighter plane.
 The White House spokeswoman sought to play down the significance of the event.
(=put it somewhere to kill an animal)· One way of getting rid of rats or mice is to put poison down.
· In real terms, the price of clothes has fallen over the last ten years.
(=describe a principle and make it accepted)· The report lays down general principles for the teaching of English.
· Pre-tax profits were up 21.5%.
· I think the quality has gone down over the years.
(=make it quieter or louder)· Can you turn your radio down a bit?
(=it falls)· If the rain starts coming down, we can always go inside.· The monsoon rain comes down in sheets.
(=a lot of rain comes down)· The rain was pouring down and I was quickly soaked.
(=it comes down fast)· The rain was now pelting down.
(also the rate falls/decreases more formal)· We are expecting unemployment rates to fall.
(=end it by force)· Troops moved in to suppress the rebellion.
· Initially, his resignation was rejected.· He offered his resignation but it was turned down by the prime minister.
(=end it by force)· The Russians speedily crushed the revolt.
(=become lower)· European sales have fallen by 12%.
· Bonuses are not paid to people lower down the salary scale.
· Some farmers prospered and moved up the social scale.
(=officially give someone a sentence)· The judge imposed a three-year sentence.
(=their value decreases)· Shares fell sharply on the London Stock Market yesterday.
 I tried to help, but all my suggestions were shot down in flames, as usual.
 The war has split the nation in two.
· The government sets standards that all hospitals must reach.
 Protection for the consumer is laid down by statute (=established by law).
 Terry stripped down to her bra and pants (=removed all her clothes except her bra and pants) and tried on the dress.
(=say that your success was the result of it)· They put their success down to their excellent teamwork.
informal (=suit someone very well)· Country life suits you down to the ground.
(=shines with a lot of light and heat)· The sun beats down on us as we work.
(=disappears at the end of the day)· It is a good place to sit and watch the sun go down.
· If your immune system breaks down, you will be vulnerable to infections.
· An alarm sounds a warning before the system breaks down.
(=stop because of disagreement)· Talks broke down today between the Russian and Japanese delegations.
(=suddenly start crying)· I broke down in tears when I read the letter.
· Oliver laughed until tears ran down his face.
· Before he could respond, she’d put down the telephone.
(=make it louder or quieter)· Rory had turned the television up so loud that the people next door complained.
 Her performance got the thumbs down from the critics.
 Josie’s already turned him down (=refused his offer of marriage).
· The government is spending more on projects to cut unemployment.
(=look at someone in order to judge their appearance or character) Maisie looked her rival up and down with a critical eye.
· There is a risk that the shares may fall in value.
(=not speak loudly)· Keep your voice down, they’ll hear you!
 Can you turn the volume up?
(=in the top or bottom half of your body) Lota was paralysed from the waist down.
 a watered-down version of the original
(=start crying)· As she watched his plane taxi away, she broke down and wept.
(=become thinner or stay thin)· How can I keep my weight down?
(=very easily or by a large amount)· Everyone expected Sam to win hands down.
(=becomes less strong)· The wind had dropped a little.
(=open or shut the window in a car)· Lucy rolled the window down and waved to him.
(=start work)· They set to work cutting down trees and brushwood.
 Brenda jumped in the car and zoomed off.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADJECTIVE
· Much lower down were the traditional school subjects of reading, writing and computation.· So I was feeling pretty low down when I went in there.· Yet it is the Vauxhall that feels more potent low down.· By cutting the stems back hard, you will encourage it to produce new shoots from low down.· It runs slower low down compared to what it does higher up.
· That is, they tend to spend more in booms and to contract faster in slow downs.· His departure prompted analysts and investors to expect a slow-down in market reforms.· Finding things the reverse, at first I had to consciously think switch down for slow down.· Likewise, those leisure companies with operations outside the South East may experience less of a slow down.· Death rate was not a significant or relevant factor in explaining the slow down of population growth.
NOUN
· Next to the thin chalk downs in Wiltshire lies the Vale of Pewsey with its superb deep greensand.· Arlott loved Hove as he did all those counties of the chalk downs and Weald.
Phrases
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRY
  • Beneath the downs between Hermitage and Melbury Bubb.
  • But a view from the Downs or from Studland Hill overlooks the indiscretions.
  • But Merlins are not infrequently recorded along the Downs and are seen very occasionally further inland.
  • Her own cards sent in reply, picturing the pier or the downs behind the town, were of monumental insignificance.
  • Norman Carlisle farms 2,000 acres on the downs.
  • So I continued south, making my way along the great chalk road which snaked across the Downs to Dover.
  • The Kentish turn-wrest plough was used throughout the county but here on the Downs it was slightly heavier.
► have a down on somebodyPHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
  • As she walked down the aisle her heart brimmed over with love and adoration for Charles.
  • He wanted to walk down the aisle with you and give you away to your young man.
  • Her mouth turned up at the corners, Mavis walked down the aisle with Walter.
  • Inspector Miskin was walking down the aisle.
  • Resplendent in red, she walks down the aisle on the arm of the Rev.
  • The wedding was off, because no way was she going to walk down the aisle looking like an eejit!
  • They looked at the passports and then started to walk down the aisle, pointing their guns at the passengers.
  • Together, they walked down the aisle behind the crucifix, toward the rear of the church.
  • The job sounds right up your alley.
  • She said, I will tell you this Bobby Kennedy is right up my alley.
  • Businesses are focused on survival - everyone's battening down the hatches.
  • A stillness which seemed to bear down on her like a physical presence.
  • Five or six men, horsed, masked and well-armed, burst from a clump of trees and bore down on them.
  • For those who find Christmas suddenly bearing down on them, the build-up to the day is one blur of activity.
  • His eyes bore down on me out of a somewhat hawklike face, and I immediately became flustered.
  • Meanwhile, the New Zealand Interislander Ferry is bearing down on us like a 350-foot long, 40-foot tall aquatic freight train.
  • The Pequod bears down on the area and comes between the whale and the floundering seamen.
  • These thoughts bear down on me as I sit here on this third night of writing.
  • Yussuf bore down on her in a fury.
► beat the door down
  • I beat him down and got the bracelet for $2.
  • The owners originally wanted $1000 for the horse, but George managed to beat them down to $850.
► beat somebody ↔ down► bed somebody/something ↔ down
  • In the end, the case will boil down to whether the jury believes Smith or not.
  • But by any measure, the Republican presidential campaign right now boils down to Dole and Forbes.
  • Honestly, it does all just boil down to the need to learn something.
  • It boils down to whether you think the extra features and quality are worth the extra money.
  • Love boils down to pheromones, it says.
  • Tackling these more stubborn obstacles will boil down to better schools and plain old dollars and cents.
  • The Grid boils down to only five behaviour patterns - the four extremes and the middle one.
  • The real problem boils down to identifying the nature of the problem itself.
  • To Smolan, the decision to leave so late in the game boiled down to quality.
► boil something ↔ down
  • And bowed down to resume his strange rump-in-the-air and face-in-the-sea posture.
  • Let peoples serve you, and nations bow down to you.
► get down to brass tacks► break something ↔ down► break something ↔ down► break something ↔ down
  • I'm already really busy today, and now Paul's breathing down my neck saying he wants the Paris deal completed.
  • I can't work with you breathing down my neck.
  • We'd better start sending out those letters soon -- I've had the sales manager breathing down my neck about it all week.
  • He would be breathing down your neck all the time.
  • Labour and the Liberal Democrats are breathing down his neck.
  • Maybe the Assistant Commissioner's wife was breathing down Maxham's neck.
  • The staff is breathing down your neck.
  • Give me a couple of minutes, will you? Brush yourself down while you're waiting.
► cash down► catch somebody with their pants/trousers down
  • When the chips were down, you felt he could handle the situation.
  • As you know, when the chips are down Leslie Bence comes out fighting.
  • It is disappointing to find that, when the chips are down, your paper is no better than the rest.
  • The implication, they fear, is that when the chips are down it is only rational human beings that really matter.
  • Outside it was chucking it down and the streets were deserted.
► close something ↔ down
  • I came down on the side of tax reform.
  • I have been criticised for coming down on the side of the second alternative.
  • Sheer orders of magnitude matter, and the orders of magnitude do not come down on the side of the real-balance effect.
  • We have to come down on the side of the snowy plover.
► be counting (down) the minutes/hours/days
  • Now I think we should bring down the curtain on this little episode, and go to bed.
► cut something ↔ down► cut somebody ↔ down► cut something ↔ down
  • The team wants to cut UCLA down to size.
  • History thus cuts man down to size by reminding him of his origins: its characteristic insight is hindsight.
  • Josh would soon cut Hank down to size.
  • To cut you down to size.
  • When the time came, he would cut him down to size.
  • Deep down, I think she's really very ambitious.
  • He pretends he doesn't care, but deep down I know he's very upset.
  • I always believed deep down that things would get better.
  • I kept pushing the team, but deep down I think I knew we wouldn't win.
  • I regret my divorce, because deep down I'm a very old-fashioned woman.
  • Yeah, sometimes he can be really nice and polite but, I tell you, deep down he's an animal!
  • Across the world, or two doors down the corridor.
  • Freda Berkeley misses her and another neighbour, the writer Patrick Kinross, who lived two doors away.
  • He thanked the colonel for the interview and returned doggedly to his pistol lessons in the basement range two doors away.
  • He tried the house opposite, and was told two doors down.
  • I took the keenest pleasure in expelling Phetlock from my old office, two doors down from the Oval.
  • Mr Potts and the matrons left them in the church and went to stay two doors away, in a hotel.
  • The guest room's two doors down the corridor.
  • The second was in another bin beside the Argos showroom two doors away.
  • Well, there's another fifty dollars down the drain.
  • And she would die in the bathtub, her blood going down the drain.
  • Dietitians responded by telling cooks to dump yolks down the drain and use the cholesterol-free whites.
  • It foreclosed on the mortgages, and the mill went down the drain.
  • It may help to twist drain rods when pushing them down the drain.
  • Male speaker I fear that safety standards will go down the drain as people seek to make most profit.
  • Pour it down the drains if necessary.
  • There are fears of family life going down the drain, as staff may get only two complete weekends off in seven.
  • You might as well take money and shovel it down the drain.
► dress somebody ↔ down
  • If you're feeling down in the dumps, come over and have a chat.
  • Mom's kind of down in the dumps at the moment -- why don't you buy her something to cheer her up?
  • But his company is still down in the dumps.
  • She supposed she was feeling a bit down in the dumps, apprehensive too about celebrating Christmas Day at the Danbys.
  • We can't have you down in the dumps like this.
  • You sound pretty down in the dumps.
  • Adai can come back to Earth after Gog is dead - after I am dead, perhaps.
  • AIr travellers came down to earth with a bump yesterday when they joined in some charity aerobics.
  • In Karuzi you quickly come down to earth.
  • Maybe, but the once pricey products that use this satellite technology have come down to earth.
  • Peter Lilley came down to earth.
  • They recently have come down to Earth.
  • A man lay face down, feet toward the center, head away from it.
  • Gently, he brought his face down on to Joe's and kissed him on his lips.
  • I set my book face down on the chair and followed after him.
  • I was lying face down on the ground.
  • Larry Flynt presents the infamous pornographer as a likable slob who faced down the big guys and won.
  • On return to Earth the orbiter orients itself so that the underside is facing down and slightly forwards.
  • Side by side, the two men lay face down in the grass, feet toward the rear of the pale car.
  • Her nappy was so wet it was falling down her legs.
  • It is not that they are falling down drunk at. 08.
  • Something, or some one, was falling down the hillside.
  • Technically he is excellent but you have noticed that he is falling down on the supervisory aspects of his job.
  • The attorney general is supposed to act only when the law enforcement is falling down or broken down in a local community.
  • The house is falling down around our ears.
  • There was a long pause, then, before it observed that some-thing was falling down toward it from the orbiting ship.
  • They liked us at first because they thought we would like be falling down glad to have them as neighbors.
► get something down to a fine art
  • Ed was talking about dropping out of school, but Mom and Dad put their foot down.
  • I wanted to take a year off before college, but my mother put her foot down.
  • You'd better put your foot down before those kids get completely out of control.
  • I put my feet down carefully.
  • I put my foot down and the car began to move forward.
  • Justice puts its foot down on Oxie.
  • Later still My silly wee sister has put her feet down and refuses to let me near her Power Pack.
  • Rice, however, put his foot down and made what he called his first policy decision.
  • She didn't answer, just put her foot down and sent the Cortina faster and faster through the night.
  • They could have put their foot down and dragged us into court.
  • We were nearing the camp, so I aimed for the ruts in the track and put my foot down.
  • At this point Morag Harkness, Sales Manager threw down the gauntlet and challenged the guys to a netball match.
  • Cerda interviewed those named in his testimony, including Wally Fuentes Morrison, and then threw down the gauntlet to Pinochet.
  • Fresh from their success they have thrown down the gauntlet to the rest of the Group.
  • It's going on five years since Earl Woods threw down the gauntlet and the snickering has stopped.
  • The endless rain was beginning to get him down.
  • You can tell me if there's anything that's worrying you or getting you down.
► get something ↔ down► get something down (somebody)
  • It went down a treat with the matrons in safe seats like South-west Surrey.
  • It seems to be going down a treat.
  • We went down the shops on Saturdays.
  • Chat rooms on the Internet are a place we can let our hair down and say what we think.
  • I spotted Juanita really letting her hair down on the dance floor.
  • Playing softball is just a good way to let your hair down and have fun.
  • You can really let your hair down and do what you want at the club.
  • Among the many booksellers and publishers whom I spotted letting their hair down on the dance floor was independent publisher Christopher Hurst.
  • He liked this: what his pub was all about, for people to let their hair down.
  • In the second half Complicite let their hair down in their own inimitable way.
  • Man's got ta let his hair down.
  • Out in the pasture, the princess let her hair down.
  • This was the day our friends let their hair down and spoke with amazing frankness.
  • We know when we can afford to let our hair down and when we can't.
  • As he would reach up for it, she would stick the spoon in her mouth and then pull her hands down.
  • Caroline strode to the windows and plumped her hands down on the sill.
  • I pulled my hands down toward her knees.
  • If an election had been held then, San Francisco would have won hands down.
  • If size is a factor in this, Xerox has succeeded hands down.
  • The answer is light, hands down.
  • The twin arms of that mechanical gibbet forced his hands down into the liquid, which sizzled and steamed.
  • You then bring your hands down and show that the birds have flown.
  • Just a few months earlier, the Supreme Court had handed down a decision inviting states to pass abortion restrictions.
  • She is expected soon to hand down a ruling.
  • The commission will seek to arbitrate a resolution before handing down a decision in late summer.
  • After all, up the lads and down the hatch.
  • Nirvana Inc battened down the hatches and made to ride out the storm.
  • The chain has battened down the hatches in the face of the storms.
  • He simply puts his head down and keeps on scoring goals - lots of them.
  • He was as cranky as a bad-tempered goat, always putting his head down and charging into things that annoyed him.
  • I put my head down and kept stroking.
  • I put my head down into my hands and absented myself mentally.
  • Instead of putting his head down and charging, Balshaw chipped and chased.
  • When I saw him in court he was crying, and so was I.. He put his head down.
  • You chuck down three of them, and then put your head down on your desk.
  • But real life, of course, teaches lesser men to keep their heads down and their mouths shut.
  • Carla kept her head down as she approached the front door, glancing up briefly when the two officers introduced them-selves.
  • Even his most bitter opponents are keeping their heads down.
  • He kept his head down under fire, avoided trouble, trusted in luck to keep him alive.
  • I have pain in my left shoulder when I keep my head down or in moving my left arm a lot.
  • I kept my head down and pretended to be consuming the scraps left on my dish.
  • I kept my head down and the heavy bag well to the fore as a protective shield.
  • It was good advice to keep my head down in the early months.
  • 1989 will go down in history as the year in which Stalinist Communism ended.
  • This Minister will go down in history as the Minister who killed off small shops in Britain.
► hit somebody when they are down
  • Clarke holds down two jobs to support his family.
  • Kelly wants to prove to his father that he can hold down a job.
  • But if you are schizophrenic, you can not think straight, concentrate, hold down a job.
  • During the day they held down jobs as, respectively, a waitress and delivery driver.
  • Frye was expounding on the dangers of holding down a job while taking a full load of courses.
  • People with long-term mental disorder have many problems in holding down a job.
  • Rella could hold down jobs, when she wanted to.
  • Who would employ her and how would she hold down a job?
  • Sinatra brought the house down when he sang "New York, New York."
  • She nearly brought the house down when I scrounged another biscuit and put her through her repertoire of tricks.
  • The Great One almost brought the house down in his return to Southern California.
  • This comeback brought the house down.
  • Topping the bill was Dangerous Dan the fire eater, but it was the finish that brought the house down.
  • I was just asking a question. You don't have to jump down my throat!
  • The newspapers cannot resist kicking a man when he is down.
► knock somebody ↔ down► knock somebody ↔ down► knock something ↔ down► knock something ↔ down
  • But prolonged recession and high unemployment knocked his popularity down to rock-bottom.
  • Rose recommended knocking it down to $ 15, 000 and the supes agreed.
  • If Bob starts laying down the law, just tell him to shut up.
  • Parents need to lay down the law regarding how much TV their children watch.
  • By eleven o'clock I was standing in front of Patterson's desk laying down the law.
  • It is unfortunate that Mrs Gardner's thoroughness did not extend to laying down the law about insurance.
  • MacFarland said I would do well in his class and laid down the law about doing well in the others.
  • Ron, too, was laying down the law.
  • She would lay down the laws.
  • Steadily I disappointed Paquita, who believed it was my job to lay down the law with Clarisa.
  • They made a move for the piano, but we laid down the law and soon redirected their energy to sightseeing.
  • Well, there was nothing for it, I had to lay down the law in no uncertain terms.
  • He considered it a privilege to lay down his life for his country.
  • He remembered the words of Izz Huett: She would have laid down her life for you.
  • I would lay down my life for it.
  • They had true grievances to settle and were ready to lay down their lives for vengeance.
► go down like a lead balloon
  • Among the many booksellers and publishers whom I spotted letting their hair down on the dance floor was independent publisher Christopher Hurst.
  • He liked this: what his pub was all about, for people to let their hair down.
  • In the second half Complicite let their hair down in their own inimitable way.
  • Man's got ta let his hair down.
  • Out in the pasture, the princess let her hair down.
  • This was the day our friends let their hair down and spoke with amazing frankness.
  • We know when we can afford to let our hair down and when we can't.
  • Never let your guard down was the only solace he offered.
  • We must not let our defences down, Mrs Thatcher and other cautious voices would argue.
► let somebody down lightly/gently
  • We are not going to take this verdict lying down. There will be protests.
  • And, on yer bike: The charity rider who's taking it all lying down.
  • But Will took it lying down - all in a good cause of course.
  • Carl however was too active mentally to take this lying down.
  • Mr Estrada has not taken the storm lying down.
  • Perhaps you're not a person to take criticism lying down and you have had some sharp exchanges with your friend.
  • The Socialists, though, are not taking it lying down.
  • They're not taking it lying down.
  • They are not taking things lying down as many other Third World people tend to do.
  • And Caminiti dunked a two-run double down the line in right.
  • As the couple passed on down the line, George quickly approached the man.
  • He loves his back-seat role, moving quietly up and down the lines, constantly persuading and cajoling.
  • I would, I would probably do the same thing were I you know, another generation down the line.
  • Otherwise he'd have been down the line after us like a shot.
  • Sherman wanted nothing less seven years down the line, when he was forty-five.
  • The thing I try to do in that situation is flick my bat and start jogging down the line.
  • I can go in a shirt and jeans and no one looks down his nose at me.
  • Besides, I didn't fancy going to the Chapel and having all the family looking down their noses at me.
  • But I was not one to look down my nose at shabbiness.
  • Don't look down their noses at you.
  • Never had any man so looked down his nose at her.
  • No more will I look down my nose at whining, spineless malcontents.
  • Normally she looked down her nose at men and then ignored them unless they needed the sharp edge of her tongue.
  • One who doesn't look down her nose at anybody.
  • We looked down our noses at this pair of student hicks.
  • "Don't be silly - you don't need to lose weight," he said, looking her up and down.
  • The hotel manager slowly looked the old man up and down and then asked him to leave.
  • Every day after the first two weeks I would look anxiously up and down the road, hoping to see their car.
  • Raul looked him up and down, eyes opened wide with derision.
  • Ron Barton looked her up and down.
  • She looked him up and down.
  • She stood there, looking Sherman up and down, as if she were angry.
  • The eaters were lo-cals; they looked us up and down when we went in.
  • The guy looked him up and down and then something clicked.
  • Here, parents who are down on their luck can pick out toys for their children.
  • In the film, Williams plays a down-on-his luck salesman whose wife has left him.
  • The program is for motivated people who are temporarily down on their luck.
  • We bought the necklace from an old man who was down on his luck and in need of a penny or two.
  • All were down on their luck, all had been drinking and all had decided on an easy way out.
  • Families that were down on their luck could get a small loan, food, a job referral.
  • He was down on his luck and not a happy hedgehog.
► kick/hit a man when he’s down► put/lay/set down a marker
  • So if anyone wants company for a walk down Memory Lane, I will gladly go with them.
  • The doctor calls it a panic attack, I call it a trip down memory lane for big bro.
  • This will be a trip down memory lane for the right hon. Gentleman.
  • The vote was split right down the middle.
  • We split you down the middle.
  • Why do you look so down in the mouth today?
  • He was no longer down in the mouth.
  • I have, as you know, been slightly down in the mouth.
  • Peter saw him the other night, Max, said he looked very down in the mouth.
► nail somebody down
  • Men and horses went down like ninepins before them, in a tangle of waving limbs, flailing hooves and broken lances.
  • The Mimosa is going down the pan faster than Dynorod could.
  • No harm in taking Evans down a peg.
  • Job opportunities like this don't come down the pike that often.
  • Our image as a bunch of bumpkins who roll over for anything that comes down the pike?
► it is pissing down (with rain)
  • He was built like a brick shithouse and he plonked himself down right in front of the stage.
  • Stanley plopped down on the sofa beside me.
  • Carefully, slowly, not at all certain why, they plopped down on to the branch.
  • On our other side a young couple wandered by and plopped down with only a six-pack and a sleeping bag.
  • Our friend Joan strolls into the bank and plops down $ 100 to open an account.
  • She plopped down too much mortar, smoothed it out and set a brick on it.
  • She plops down on the empty cot and lifts a curtain to peer out the window.
  • The coyote returned to the barn end and plopped down in front of the crowd of llamas.
► go down the plughole
  • Peggy plumped down in the chair beside Otto.
  • Americans love to plunk themselves down in front of the TV.
  • I plunk down a dollar and confront my deepest fears.
  • Marketers usually plunk down the equivalent of $ 40, 000 or so in cash, goods or services for placement.
  • The beverage giant wants you to plunk down your money and decide for yourself.
► pull something ↔ down► pull down something► pull somebody down
  • I could not pull down a menu.
  • The pull down menus make the game easy to play and the smooth animation help keep the interest of younger players.
  • The program has a pull down menu interface for ease of use.
  • The program uses pull down menus and is easy to follow.
  • As the stage approached, I put one down and waved violently.
  • Culley put the phone down, then dialled Mike Dawson's number.
  • He asked two questions and put the phone down.
  • I did not want to put it down.
  • Minna put the letter down and shuddered.
  • Parents may carry her around constantly afraid to put her down for fear she will burst into tears again.
  • She put her drink down on the bar.
  • When I put that phone down, I was in tears.
► put somebody down for £5/£20 etc► put it down to experience
  • As the stage approached, I put one down and waved violently.
  • Culley put the phone down, then dialled Mike Dawson's number.
  • He asked two questions and put the phone down.
  • I did not want to put it down.
  • Minna put the letter down and shuddered.
  • Parents may carry her around constantly afraid to put her down for fear she will burst into tears again.
  • She put her drink down on the bar.
  • When I put that phone down, I was in tears.
  • As the stage approached, I put one down and waved violently.
  • Culley put the phone down, then dialled Mike Dawson's number.
  • He asked two questions and put the phone down.
  • I did not want to put it down.
  • Minna put the letter down and shuddered.
  • Parents may carry her around constantly afraid to put her down for fear she will burst into tears again.
  • She put her drink down on the bar.
  • When I put that phone down, I was in tears.
  • As the stage approached, I put one down and waved violently.
  • Culley put the phone down, then dialled Mike Dawson's number.
  • He asked two questions and put the phone down.
  • I did not want to put it down.
  • Minna put the letter down and shuddered.
  • Parents may carry her around constantly afraid to put her down for fear she will burst into tears again.
  • She put her drink down on the bar.
  • When I put that phone down, I was in tears.
  • My father's father, a soldier in the Black Watch, had helped put down a rebellion one Easter in Dublin.
  • As the stage approached, I put one down and waved violently.
  • Culley put the phone down, then dialled Mike Dawson's number.
  • He asked two questions and put the phone down.
  • I did not want to put it down.
  • Minna put the letter down and shuddered.
  • Parents may carry her around constantly afraid to put her down for fear she will burst into tears again.
  • She put her drink down on the bar.
  • When I put that phone down, I was in tears.
  • As the stage approached, I put one down and waved violently.
  • Culley put the phone down, then dialled Mike Dawson's number.
  • He asked two questions and put the phone down.
  • I did not want to put it down.
  • Minna put the letter down and shuddered.
  • Parents may carry her around constantly afraid to put her down for fear she will burst into tears again.
  • She put her drink down on the bar.
  • When I put that phone down, I was in tears.
  • After I have put the phone down I sit gazing at Kyle on the opposite side of the airwell.
  • After she had put the phone down, she felt in a daze.
  • And he had just put the phone down on the only man who could ruin it all for him.
  • Be brisk, polite, and put the phone down.
  • Culley put the phone down, then dialled Mike Dawson's number.
  • He put the phone down and listened to its ringing - its machine persistence.
  • He put the phone down in the dining room.
  • He put the phone down on the cradle and stared at it.
  • As the stage approached, I put one down and waved violently.
  • Culley put the phone down, then dialled Mike Dawson's number.
  • He asked two questions and put the phone down.
  • I did not want to put it down.
  • Minna put the letter down and shuddered.
  • Parents may carry her around constantly afraid to put her down for fear she will burst into tears again.
  • She put her drink down on the bar.
  • When I put that phone down, I was in tears.
  • It's such a good book that I couldn't put it down.
  • What an amazing book! I just couldn't put it down.
  • As the stage approached, I put one down and waved violently.
  • Culley put the phone down, then dialled Mike Dawson's number.
  • He asked two questions and put the phone down.
  • I did not want to put it down.
  • Minna put the letter down and shuddered.
  • Parents may carry her around constantly afraid to put her down for fear she will burst into tears again.
  • She put her drink down on the bar.
  • When I put that phone down, I was in tears.
► put down a motion/an amendment► rain (down) blows/blows rain down
  • His teeth were even and white, and Bernice wanted to ram them down his throat.
  • Jess felt like ramming it down his throat.
  • At one spot along the road, a lone flower escaped the flames that poured through the Three Bar Wildlife Area.
  • How far down the road of cutbacks do bank management want to go?
  • Lily shot a quick horrified look up and down the road.
  • No car had come down the road for a while.
  • There's a nice place down the road.
  • Well, we want to let you know that a new church is opening just down the road from you.
  • They mustn't go down this road again, it could only lead to disaster.
► roll a window down
  • Just as I was putting down roots, our family had to move up north.
  • For Ada, putting down roots opens a new life of discipline and learning.
  • However, now that they had family responsibilities and were beginning to put down roots, they returned to their former church-going.
  • I was going to put down roots, achieve something, give meaning to my existence.
  • In their place, developers are building upscale subdivisions that tend to cater to newcomers less willing to put down roots.
  • It puts down roots 10 feet deep, easily withstanding drought and even frequent fires.
  • Meanwhile, people who might want to put down roots in the community are finding it prohibitively expensive.
  • She's had 8 quarters, so it's hard to put down roots.
  • What better way to put down roots, and what more suitable time than in the spring?
► run down something► run somebody/something down► run somebody/something ↔ down► run somebody/something ↔ down
  • The workers were promised that they would not lose their jobs as a result of the merger. Later they found out that they had been sold down the river.
  • Stephen King's novels have sent shivers up readers' spines for more than 20 years.
  • He kicked her sending shivers up her spine; again she yelped, and everything turned black.
  • We both kept waiting for the moment when the experience would overwhelm us and send chills up our spines.
► send something ↔ down► send somebody down
  • Afterwards in the pub some one told me he would probably be sent down.
  • He was sent down from Eton in 1863 for a few months for having made a forbidden visit to a Jesuit house.
  • He was sent down South to live with his grandparents when he was in second grade.
  • I was using regular for about two years after that until I was sent down.
  • Much of the iron was sent down the valleys for export through Cardiff and Newport.
  • Police divers were sent down to check the vessel's hull for possible sabotage.
  • There seems every possibility that Trev Proby will be sent down in the near future.
  • As she settled back down it continued to cook and burst into flames.
  • At that time, diesel prices in California spiked briefly, but settled back down by the end of that year.
  • Before she could say any more, he settled the helmet down over his head and fastened the strap.
  • Find a doctor, maybe; something to settle him down.
  • He settled his weight down on the step beside her and dwelt anxiously on her state.
  • He nods stiffly, then settles his chin down on his chest, scowling.
  • Try to settle the puppy down here before going to bed.
  • We wound up taking him for long rides in the car to settle him down.
► shake somebody ↔ down► shake somebody/something ↔ down
  • Craig shinned down the rope to where we were standing.
  • I locked myself out of the house and had to shinny up a drainpipe to get in.
  • We watched as small boys shinned up palm trees and brought coconuts down.
  • Boys and girls shinned up trees to 10p off branches.
  • But can not phone him from Twills as Mr Twill would insist on shinning up drainpipe himself and break femur.
  • Dave shinned up a handy conifer.
  • He nodded encouragement to his fellows, and they shinned up after him and dropped down into the stockade.
  • Maintenance men could tell whether a pole - wooden or concrete - is dangerously cracked before shinning up it.
  • No fire-escape, no convenient drainpipe anyone could shin up.
  • Nothing as cheap as an open window or shinning down a drainpipe at midnight or down paying a suitcase full of bricks.
  • The animal was so tame that it shinned up his leg and dived into a deep pocket.
  • His brother was eight and spent two days learning how to shinny up to the office.
  • The boy panicked and tried more desperately to shinny up the mast.
► shut somebody ↔ down
  • Brown was constantly letting the side down.
  • Essentially, it's the ageing drivetrain that lets the side down.
  • I don't want to let the side down - don't send me to the Sick Room!
  • It is an unmentionable subject, a terrible way of letting the side down.
► criticize/nag/hassle somebody up one side and down the other► sit somebody down
  • First we should sit down and work out the financing.
  • But I found I could just sit down and play by ear.
  • He sat down and pushed at the lid with one filthy paw.
  • Something that makes you want to sit down and take notice.
  • The harvesters stopped work, sat down and started to eat and drink.
  • The Springboks sat down and waited.
  • Then she sat down and started to eat.
  • Then the Kuchas sat down and ate the fish in his honor.
  • We can all sit down and analyze.
  • Nearly 1,000 fans staged a sit-down protest calling for Branfoot's head, despite the victory sealed by Richard Hall's header.
► down south
  • Gabriel had the window wide open and was standing there looking down at him.
  • He stands looking down at me.
  • He stood looking down at Tibbles, breathing heavily.
  • He walked slowly over to the door, and stood looking down at her.
  • Jane crossed to the windows and stood staring down into the street.
  • Then he stood looking down at Tim Reagan.
► go down the Swanee
  • But my brokers were complaining that I was shoving them down their throats.
  • His teeth were even and white, and Bernice wanted to ram them down his throat.
  • Jess felt like ramming it down his throat.
  • The agents poured pepper sauce down their nostrils, or forced water down their throats.
  • Torrents of lava would not tumble out to force fire down his throat, torch his tongue.
  • At this stage, the urge to do something was unfocused, but it was extraordinary how people threw themselves into it.
  • Grief-stricken, he threw himself on her.
  • He kicked it in, threw himself on the floor and rolled under the bed.
  • I threw myself down on the bed and sobbed bitterly.
  • I threw myself into organising the funeral, picking out the music I wanted played.
  • Like Billy McFadzean who in 1916 threw himself on two bombs to save his comrades in the trenches of the Somme.
  • They threw themselves down on the street or took shelter behind cars and in doorways.
  • You put him in a situation where women are throwing themselves at him.
  • But the docs just gave me the thumbs up.
  • East Kilbride celebrates as tyre plant proposal given the thumbs down.
  • I can see it now: In toga and laurel wreath, Big Al will give the thumbs up or thumbs down.
  • In Grampian, 80 percent. of general practitioners gave it the thumbs down.
  • London movie-goers gave Glengarry Glen Ross, about cut-throat estate agents, the thumbs up this week.
  • The Dole campaign has not yet given the thumbs up, preferring to wait for the results of Super Tuesday.
  • The question, which had been popped earlier on the stadium's electronic scoreboard, got the thumbs up.
  • Top analysts gave it the thumbs up and prices took off.
► it’s tipping (it) down► come down on somebody like a ton of bricks
  • It seems to be going down a treat.
  • It went down a treat with the matrons in safe seats like South-west Surrey.
  • The who experiment could go down the tubes.
  • Soon her marriage came tumbling down.
  • And the marriage comes tumbling down as Roth, like a Roth hero, demands to become unbound from marital ties.
  • Another set of walls comes tumbling down.
  • As the Holy Spirit filled me, the barriers came tumbling down.
  • He watched a huge white mountain collapse and come tumbling down on him.
  • One wrong move, we realized with horror, and the doors could come tumbling down.
  • The statues came tumbling down all over the Soviet Union.
  • Then the stage came tumbling down.
  • There is a loud clatter as a stack of circuit boards comes tumbling down.
  • I want you kids to stop running up and down in the hall.
  • All night he parades up and down the bar like a brawny old cockerel.
  • He went down early each morning and jumped up and down in the briny, enjoying every minute of it.
  • If you build your jig slightly larger than your posts it will slide up and down more easily.
  • She opened doors, walked up and down, inspected rooms.
  • The old woman nodded, left and right and up and down.
  • The whole place reverberated with noise, feet pounding up and down stairs, children yelling, women shouting, doors banging.
  • Two dancers in harness are walking up and down the pole.
  • When the Goldwater scholarship was announced this spring, Flores jumped up and down, not for joy, but from surprise.
  • We had a lot of ups and downs in our marriage.
  • Eachuinn Odhar had his ups and downs, but more downs than ups.
  • If you're prepared to take a five-year view, these ups and downs are worth enduring.
  • Most older people cope with the ups and downs of their daily lives.
  • Relearning is a longer, gradual process with ups and downs and it is too easy just to give up.
  • There have been ups and downs of course.
  • There have been ups and downs, yes, but on the whole my fortunes have grown.
  • We need to hold tenaciously to our commitment to talk over the ups and downs of our days.
  • A distorted religion has turned the world upside down, denying that anything ever existed before itself.
  • I turn the box upside down and bring it out empty.
  • The girl was turning everything upside down.
  • The history of implants has been equally painful; implants can shift or turn themselves upside down.
  • They studied the map for a while, scratched their heads, turned it upside down and studied it some more.
  • We could turn the glass upside down and sideways without having the water pour out because air pressure pushes in all directions.
  • Yet with an appealing brew of nationalism and promise of democratic reform, Kostunica has since turned Yugoslav politics upside down.
► down your/London etc way► wear somebody ↔ down► wind something ↔ down► wind something ↔ down
  • We were in a couple of games that went right down to the wire.
  • In the event the starting line-up went down to the wire.
  • It is down to the wire.
► go up/come down in the world
1[uncountable] soft hair like a baby’s2[uncountable] the soft fine feathers of a bird3[countable] one of the four chances that an American football team has to move forward when it is their turn to have the ball4the downs low round hills covered with grass, as in the south of England5have a down on somebody British English informal to dislike or have a bad opinion of someone:  For some reason, Malcolm had a down on the whole teaching profession. → ups and downs at up2(1)
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更新时间：2025/1/27 12:20:07