Phrasal Verbs

Unit 36
Phrasal Verbs with the Particle Down
The particle down is used in many phrasal verbs and has many meanings. Down can be used
to say that something literally moves from a higher position to a lower position or from north
to south:
Bob went down the ladder.
Many Canadians come down to Florida during the winter.
The police told Nicholas to put his gun down.
that something decreases in size, number, intensity, quantity, or quality:
Her fever has gone down to 100 degrees.
The doctor gave her a sedative to calm her down.
We’ve narrowed the list down to three choices.
The store tried to keep its prices down.
that something or someone is fought, defeated, or overpowered:
Hank backed down when he saw my shotgun.
The police cracked down on street crime.
that something falls to the ground or is made to stay at a lower position:
The boy was running and fell down.
The warehouse burned down.
Open the door or I’ll break it down!
The police officers held the criminal down.
or that a process or activity is ending or has ended:
My car broke down on the highway.
The FBI tracked down the spy.
The campaign is winding down.
Infinitive: back down
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PRESENT TENSE
-ING FORM
PAST TENSE
PAST PARTICIPLE
back down & backs
down
backing down
backed down
backed down
1. back down p.v. When one side in a disagreement stops making threats and lets the other
have what it wants or do what it wants, the side that stops making threats backs down.
The dictator didn’t back down after the United Nations Security Council voted in
favor of sending in troops.
The police officer tried to force me to pay him a bribe, but when I said I would
report him to the chief of police, he backed down.