run down something

run down something
run down (someone/something) 1. to search for and find someone or something.

We spend a lot of money each year running down students who are out of school illegally.

The software giant spent months running down bugs in the program and fixing them.

The cops tried to run these guys down, but they had no luck.

2. to unfairly criticize someone or something.

People run down the justice system all the time, but it works relatively fairly.

Some people can only feel better about themselves if they're running you down.

3. .

New idioms dictionary. 2014.

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  • run down (something) — 1. to explain something. I ll run down my research quickly. T. J. ran it all down for him, explaining the different costs of each option. 2. to reduce something. We are going to start running down our savings if prices don t stop rising. I want… …   New idioms dictionary

  • run down something — run down (something) to use the power that makes something work. We left the car lights on and ran down the battery. I wound up the toy dog and watched it jump until it ran down …   New idioms dictionary

  • run down — (something) to use the power that makes something work. We left the car lights on and ran down the battery. I wound up the toy dog and watched it jump until it ran down …   New idioms dictionary

  • run down — phrasal verb Word forms run down : present tense I/you/we/they run down he/she/it runs down present participle running down past tense ran down past participle run down 1) [transitive] to hit someone with your car and injure or kill them be/get… …   English dictionary

  • run down someone — run down (someone/something) 1. to search for and find someone or something. We spend a lot of money each year running down students who are out of school illegally. The software giant spent months running down bugs in the program and fixing them …   New idioms dictionary

  • run down — (someone/something) 1. to search for and find someone or something. We spend a lot of money each year running down students who are out of school illegally. The software giant spent months running down bugs in the program and fixing them. The… …   New idioms dictionary

  • run down — {v.} (stress on down ) 1. To crash against and knock down or sink. * /Jack rode his bicycle too fast and almost ran down his little brother./ * /It was so foggy that the steamship almost ran down a small boat leaving port./ Compare: RUN INTO(3a) …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • run down — {v.} (stress on down ) 1. To crash against and knock down or sink. * /Jack rode his bicycle too fast and almost ran down his little brother./ * /It was so foggy that the steamship almost ran down a small boat leaving port./ Compare: RUN INTO(3a) …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • run-down — (The spelling rundown is also used. The adjective is pronounced [[t]rʌ̱n da͟ʊn[/t]]. The noun is pronounced [[t]rʌ̱n daʊn[/t]].) 1) ADJ GRADED: usu v link ADJ If someone is run down, they are tired or slightly ill. [INFORMAL] When 23 year old… …   English dictionary

  • run down — UK US run down Phrasal Verb with run({{}}/rʌn/ verb (running, ran, run) ► to gradually end an organization s, industry s, etc. operations: be run down »The country s nuclear industry is being run down. run sth down »The president had promised to… …   Financial and business terms

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