bring down

bring down idiom
  1. Cause to fall, collapse, or die. For example, The pilot won a medal for bringing down enemy aircraft, or The bill's defeat was sure to bring down the party. [c. 1300]
  2. Cause a punishment or judgment, as in The bomb threats brought down the public's wrath on the terrorists [Mid-1600s]
  3. Reduce, lower, as in I won't buy it till they bring down the price, or He refused to bring himself down to their level. This usage may be literal, as in the first example, or figurative, as in the second. [First half of 1500s]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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