take-down
take-down — verb
- take-downpresent simple I / you / we / they
- take-downs3rd person singular
- take-downing-ing form
- take-downedpast simple
1. to bring someone or something down from a higher place to a lower one, usually u
to bring someone or something down from a higher place to a lower one, usually using your hands
Sumin took the heavy box down from the top shelf, her sister holding the ladder.
take + noun + down with position phrase
The nurse asked Piotr to take his arm down for a blood pressure check.
Ilan took down the old curtains and carried them to the washing machine.
take + noun + down for removing from wall
Daichi took down the framed photo from the wall to dust behind it.
- take down a box
- take down curtains
- take down a picture
- take something down from
- lower
more formal, less physical
- bring down
more general, less specific about using hands
Grammar Patterns
take + noun + down
take down + noun
take + pronoun + down
Usage Note
Commonly used with objects that are on shelves, walls, or hooks. The pronoun goes between 'take' and 'down' (e.g. 'take it down', NOT 'take down it').
Common Mistakes
2. to remove a structure, building, or temporary object by separating it into its i
to remove a structure, building, or temporary object by separating it into its individual parts
Kofi and his father took down the tent and packed it into the car.
take down + structure
The workers took down the scaffolding after the building repairs were finished.
The museum staff took down the exhibition and returned each painting to storage.
take down an exhibition
Gita helped her roommate take down the bookshelf before they moved to a new flat.
- take down a tent
- take down scaffolding
- take down a display
- take down an exhibition
- dismantle
more formal, implies careful separation of parts
- take apart
similar register, used for smaller objects
- demolish
implies destruction rather than careful separation
Grammar Patterns
take + noun + down
take down + noun
Usage Note
Used for both large structures (buildings, scaffolding) and smaller assembled objects (tents, furniture, displays). The opposite is 'put up' or 'set up'.
3. to defeat someone in a fight or competition; to overpower and stop a person who
to defeat someone in a fight or competition; to overpower and stop a person who is causing danger or harm
The security guard took down the intruder with a quick move.
take down an attacker
The champion was taken down by a younger fighter in the final round.
Police officers took down the gang members in a coordinated operation across three cities.
take down + criminal group
The wrestler took down his opponent ten seconds into the first round.
- take down an intruder
- take down a suspect
- take down a champion
- overpower
more formal, focuses on physical strength
- subdue
more formal, implies bringing under control
- bring down
similar register, used for both people and systems
- surrender to
to give in to an opponent
- lose to
to be defeated by someone
Grammar Patterns
take + noun + down
take down + noun
Usage Note
Often used in sports commentary (wrestling, MMA, martial arts) and in news reports about police operations. Not used for winning a game through points — only for physically overpowering someone.
Common Mistakes
4. to criticize someone harshly or say things that hurt their confidence and make t
to criticize someone harshly or say things that hurt their confidence and make them feel small
The manager took Gita down in front of the whole team for a small mistake.
take someone down in front of others
Salma felt that her classmates tried to take her down with jokes about her accent.
Critics took down the director's new film in every major review.
take down + in reviews/criticism
Maeve hated how the senior staff always took down the new interns during meetings.
- take someone down in front of
- take down with criticism
- try to take someone down
Grammar Patterns
take + noun + down
take down + noun
Usage Note
Informal in tone. Often appears in contexts of workplace criticism, bullying, or public humiliation. The sense is about reducing someone's status or self-worth.
Common Mistakes
5. to write something that someone says or that you hear, so that you can remember
to write something that someone says or that you hear, so that you can remember it later
The journalist took down every word the mayor said during the press conference.
Heloísa took down her grandmother's recipe as the old woman described each ingredient.
take down a recipe / instructions
Piotr took down the meeting notes on his laptop while the others discussed the budget.
Henry took down the caller's phone number and promised to pass on the message.
- take down a message
- take down notes
- take down a statement
- write down
more neutral, can be used in all contexts
- note down
slightly more formal, implies selective recording
- jot down
informal, suggests quick or brief writing
Grammar Patterns
take + noun + down
take down + noun
Usage Note
Slightly more informal than 'write down' or 'note down'. Used especially when recording spoken information in real time — dictation, interviews, lectures, or telephone messages.
6. to pull a piece of clothing worn on the lower part of the body downward without
to pull a piece of clothing worn on the lower part of the body downward without taking it off completely
The doctor asked Daichi to take down his trousers so she could examine his knee.
The toddler kept taking down his pyjama bottoms during the warm summer nights.
take down pyjama bottoms / trousers
Maeve took down her jeans to show the nurse the rash on her upper thigh.
The patient was asked to take down his shorts so the wound could be cleaned.
- take down trousers
- take down jeans
- take down a skirt
- pull down
more general, can be used for both clothing and objects like blinds
- pull up
to raise lower-body clothing back into position
Grammar Patterns
take + noun + down
take down + noun
Usage Note
Used specifically for lower-body garments such as trousers, shorts, skirts, or underwear. The clothes are pulled down but not fully removed. For upper-body clothing, use 'take off'.
Common Mistakes
7. to remove content, information, or material from a website or the internet
to remove content, information, or material from a website or the internet
The video was taken down from YouTube after viewers reported it for copyright violations.
passive: be taken down from [platform]
Ramón asked the forum moderators to take down the post with his personal address.
The company took down the product page after customers complained about false advertising.
take down a page / a post
The website took down the article after the journalist could not confirm the facts.
- take down a video
- take down a post
- take down content
- take down a page
- be taken down from
Grammar Patterns
take + noun + down
take down + noun
passive: be taken down
Usage Note
Very common in digital contexts. Often used in passive form ('was taken down'). Frequently describes platform removals due to copyright, privacy, or policy violations.
take down
phrasal verbto remove a structure, building, or assembled object by separating it into its parts
Workers took down the damaged bridge in just three days using cranes and cutting tools.
Mei and her brother took down the bookshelf before moving it to their new apartment.
take down
phrasal verbto pull a piece of lower-body clothing such as trousers or a skirt downwards, especially for a medical examination
The doctor asked the boy to take down his pyjama bottoms so she could check his hip.
Yuki took down her cycling shorts to show the nurse the rash on her thigh.
take down
phrasal verbto write information on paper, especially notes or messages from someone who is speaking
The secretary took down the minutes of the meeting while the directors discussed the budget.
Hiro took down the customer's order on a small notepad by the register.
take down
phrasal verbto remove digital content from a website, social media platform, or online service
The streaming service took down the episode after viewers pointed out the factual errors.
The company's page was taken down after customers complained about the misleading claims.
take someone down
idiomto use force to stop a person who is trying to hurt others or cause trouble
A single police officer managed to take the attacker down before anyone got hurt.
The soldiers were ordered to take down the armed group that had been terrorising the village.
take something down
idiomto remove an object that is attached to a wall or ceiling, or to separate a temporary structure into pieces
Chie took the mirror down from the wall so she could paint behind it.
The team took down the decorations after the New Year party ended.
take something down
idiomto write a record of words that someone speaks at that moment
A translator took down the ambassador's speech and typed it for the records.
Theo took down the interviewer's questions on a piece of scrap paper.
take-down — noun
1. the act of bringing someone to the ground by force, especially in wrestling or m
the act of bringing someone to the ground by force, especially in wrestling or martial arts; or a police operation in which a criminal is arrested or stopped
Anong won the match with a perfectly timed takedown in the final seconds.
takedown in sports
The police operation was the biggest drug takedown in the city's history.
police takedown operation
The wrestler practised takedowns every morning until the movement became natural.
The gang takedown involved officers from five different police departments working together.
- a takedown operation
- a drug takedown
- perform a takedown
- execute a takedown
- arrest
specific to law enforcement, does not imply physical force
- submission
in sports, refers specifically to forcing an opponent to give up
Usage Note
Written as 'takedown' (one word) in sports and law enforcement contexts. As a noun, it can be countable: 'a takedown' or 'takedowns' in plural.
take-down — adjective
1. designed so that it can be easily separated into parts for moving, storing, or c
designed so that it can be easily separated into parts for moving, storing, or cleaning
The company sells a takedown rifle that fits into a small case for transport.
takedown + rifle / furniture
The takedown table folds flat and fits under a bed when not in use.
Hunters prefer takedown bows because they are easy to carry in a backpack.
The takedown stage can be assembled by two people in under thirty minutes.
- takedown rifle
- takedown furniture
- takedown design
- collapsible
folds or telescopes rather than separating into parts
- disassemblable
rare, more technical
- demountable
formal, used for structures
Grammar Patterns
attributive use
takedown + noun
Usage Note
Technical term found mainly in product descriptions for firearms, furniture, or equipment. Not used in everyday conversation.
Etymology
'Take-down' is a compound formed from the English phrasal verb 'take down', which has been in use since the 13th century. The verb 'take' comes from Old English 'tacan' (to grasp, capture), from Proto-Germanic '*takaną'. The particle 'down' comes from Old English 'dūne' (from the hill), evolving into the modern directional adverb. The noun 'takedown' emerged in the 19th century, first recorded in wrestling contexts around the 1880s, and expanded into law enforcement use in the late 20th century. The adjective form, describing items designed for easy disassembly, dates from the early 20th century and was first used in firearms catalogues.
First known use
1858
1858, in the meaning defined at sense 1 Adjective