running down

Verb

run down (third-person singular simple present runs down, present participle running down, simple past ran down, past participle run down)

1. (transitive) To hit someone with a car or other vehicle and injure or kill them.
   • He was run down while crossing the main road.

   Synonyms:

   run over, knock down

2. (transitive) To criticize someone or an organisation, often unfairly.
   • Whatever the company says, the media is going to run them down.
3. (transitive) To find something or someone after searching for a long time.
   • I finally managed to run down that report. I had filed it incorrectly.

   Synonyms:

   run to earth, run to ground, put down, demean, berate, track down

4. (intransitive, transitive) To lose power slowly. Used for a machine, battery, or other powered device.
   • You need to wind up the clock every day so that it doesn't run down.
5. (transitive) To read quickly a list or other short text.
   • Running down the list of suggestions, I can see three we can discard immediately.
6. (transitive) To describe in the form of a rundown, a rough outline or summary.
   • When the minute was up, John Jay managed to make the woman twice as nervous as he ran down the rules and the possibilities.2013, Nora Roberts, The Name of the Game

See all 14 meanings of run down