taking 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
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

   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