take down a notch

Verb

take down a notch (third-person singular simple present takes down a notch, present participle taking down a notch, simple past took down a notch, past participle taken down a notch)

1. (idiomatic, transitive) To cause a person's or group's self-esteem or importance to be decreased.
   • Confident and near-cocky for the second straight debate […] [McCain] easily deflected Romney and Giuliani attempts to take him down a notch.2008 January 10, Mark Halperin, “The Republican Candisates: John McCain”, in Time, retrieved 08 Feb 2021
   • Yet it is Gervais who has always been considered […] a quasi-"man of the people" who dares to take the elites down a notch.2019 November 13, Adam Whites, “Banal, unfunny and not as dangerous as he thinks: It's time we stopped glorifying Ricky Gervais at the Golden Globes”, in Independent, retrieved 08 Feb 2021
2. (idiomatic, transitive) To cause the quantity, degree, or intensity of something to be decreased.
   • [M]any travel companies are holding prices steady or taking them down a notch.2008 October 14, Michelle Higgins, “Europe Returning to Land of In-Reach”, in New York Times, retrieved 08 Feb 2021
   • [A]n increase in clouds (and a slight weakening of the heat dome overhead) may take temperatures down a notch.2015 May 21, Jason Samenow, “Record-challenging heat likely in D.C. in May’s final week”, in Washington Post, retrieved 08 Feb 2021

   Synonyms:

   bring down a notch, bring down a peg, dial down a notch, knock down a notch, knock down a peg, move down a notch, move down a peg, pull down a notch, pull down a peg, take down a peg