bring down — reduce the level or amount of something
phrasal verbB1IELTS 5+neutralcommon
to make something, such as a price, temperature, or amount, lower than before.
Say it like a native
Textbook The new policy will reduce the cost of housing significantly.
Native The new policy should bring housing costs down.
'Bring down' is the everyday verb for lowering a price or level; 'reduce significantly' is formal.
Pattern: bring down + noun
In use
- The new manager managed to bring down expenses by 15%.daily life
- If the government wants to bring down pollution levels, they should encourage people to use public transport more often.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ They brought down the prices of 20%.
✓ They brought prices down by 20%.
Prices come down BY an amount, not 'of'.
Common collocations
bring down + price/level— prices, costs, the temperature, inflation
Don't confuse it
Do not confuse with 'bring up', which means to increase or mention something.
Related
- bring down (cause someone in power to lose their position) — Another meaning of 'bring down' is 'cause someone in power to lose their position'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.