call down

call down idiom
  1. Invoke, as from heaven; for example, He called down the wrath of God. [Early 1800s]
  2. call someone down. Scold or reprimand, as in The conductor called her down for playing out of tune. [Mid-1800s] For a synonym, see dress down, def. 1.

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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