Down Idioms

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go down in flames

Meaning: Experience a complete and utter failure.

Example: Despite months of preparation, their business went down in flames after a major financial setback. Read more ➺


knuckle down

Meaning: Begin to work or study hard, especially after a period of not doing much.

Example: With exams approaching, it's time to knuckle down and study. Read more ➺


down the hatch

Meaning: An expression used to encourage someone to drink, especially alcohol, implying that the drink should be consumed immediately.

Example: He raised his glass and said, "down the hatch," before drinking. Read more ➺


fish rots from the head down

Meaning: poor leadership leads to the decline of an organization.

Example: The company was bound to be closed sooner or later, considering the kind of managers that they had hired. A fish rots from the head down, after all. Read more ➺


down the road

Meaning: at a future point or end.

Example: Somewhere down the road, I think he'll make it big. Read more ➺


when the chips are down

Meaning: when a situation is urgent or desperate.

Example: When the chips are down, you know who your real friends are. Read more ➺


turn down a glass

Meaning: to decline something that someone has offered.


upside down

Meaning: literally refers to an object that has been reoriented so that the portion which would otherwise be considered the top is now at the bottom, i.e., it is in an inverted position.

Example: Out of embarrassment, I turned the book upside down so that he would not see the title of what I was reading. Read more ➺


buckle down

Meaning: make sure something stays in place

Example: She knew if she didn't buckle down, the tasks wouldn't get done. Read more ➺


take it up/down a notch

Meaning: apply more effort to achieve a goal

Example: The team got through to the quarter-finals. Now they need to take it up a notch to get to the semis. Read more ➺


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