Phrasal Verbs with Down

Back down (or climb down) = to withdraw an earlier claim: "After weeks of negotiating, she backed down and accepted their conditions."

Break down = 1) To examine the different parts of something: "The profits break down in the following way – 50% profit in European sales, a 20% profit in North American sales and a 30% profit in Asian sales." 2) when communication stops between two parties: "The negotiations broke down after two days."; 3) to crush or destroy; 4) to analyse or be subjected to analysis


Bring down = destroy something: "A series of disastrous investments brought down the company."

Close down =1) to cease or cause to cease operations; 2) to mark or move towards (an opposing player) in order to prevent him or her running with the ball or making or receiving a pass

Cool down (also cool off) = 1) to make or become cooler; and 2) to lessen the intensity of (anger or excitement) or (of anger or excitement) to become less intense; calm down

Crack down = to take severe measures (against)

Cut down = 1) to fell; 2) -often followed by on- to reduce or make a reduction (in); 3) to remake in order to make a smaller one; 4) to kill; 5) cut a person down to size ⇒ to reduce in importance or decrease the conceit of

Dress down = 1) to reprimand severely or scold (a person); or 2) to dress in a casual or informal manner, esp at work


Drive down = work hard to reduce prices or costs: "Over the last year we have driven down the distribution costs."

Hand down = 1) to leave to a later period or generation; bequeath 2) to pass (an outgrown garment) on from one member of a family to a younger one; 3) to announce or deliver (a verdict)

Knock down = 1) to strike to the ground with a blow, as in boxing; 2) (in auctions) to declare (an article) sold, as by striking a blow with a gavel; 3) to demolish; 4) to dismantle, for ease of transport; and 5) informal to reduce (a price, etc)

Let down = To disapoint someone

Live down = when other people can forget a bad reputation: "I was two hours late for the meeting and now my colleagues will never let me live it down."

Play down = to make little or light of; minimize the importance of something

Pour down = Rain heavily

Set down = put something in writing: "The conditions are set down in the contract."

Slow down = to decrease or cause to decrease in speed, efficiency, etc

Stand down = resign: "After ten years at the head of the company, the chairman has decided to stand down."

Take down = write notes in a meeting: "Can someone take down the minutes?"

Talk down = 1) often followed by to: to behave (towards) in a superior or haughty manner; 2) to override (a person or argument) by continuous or loud talking; 3) to give instructions to (an aircraft) by radio to enable it to land

Turn down =  1) to reduce (the volume or brightness) of (something); 2) to reject or refuse; 3) to fold down (a collar, sheets on a bed, etc)

Wear down = argue so much that the other person abandons their position: "The unions finally wore the management down on the issue of overtime pay."

Wind down = to relax

Write down (or note down) = write something: "Could you write down your mobile phone number?"

EXERCISES:

1.  Exercise: http://a4esl.org/q/h/vm/pvdown.html
2.  Exercise: http://www.ecenglish.com/learnenglish/lessons/phrasal-verbs-with-down

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Modified from www.english-at-home.com and Wordreference.com