bring down — cause someone in power to lose their position
phrasal verbB2IELTS 6+neutraloccasional
to force someone, especially a leader or government, to lose their position or power.
Say it like a native
Textbook The scandal caused the government to lose its hold on power.
Native The scandal brought down the government.
'Bring down' is the natural verb for toppling a leader or regime; the paraphrase is wordy.
Pattern: bring down + noun (person/group in power)
In use
- The scandal was enough to bring down the entire company leadership.work
- In some countries, public pressure can bring down a government if people are unhappy with its decisions.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ The protests brought the president down from power.
✓ The protests brought down the president. / The protests brought the president down.
'Bring down' already means remove from power — don't add 'from power'.
Common collocations
bring down + leader/government— the government, the regime, the president, the company
Don't confuse it
'Bring down' is about removing power, not just criticizing someone.
Related
- bring down (reduce the level or amount of something) — Another meaning of 'bring down' is 'reduce the level or amount of something'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.