run down

verb runs down · running down · ran down · 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.

   Similar: 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.

   Similar: 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.
7. UK, transitive To reduce the size or stock levels of a business, often with a view to closure. The board of directors have decided to run down the stocks held in storage prior to offering the company for sale.
8. To decline in quality or condition. to run down in health
9. To chase till the object pursued is captured or exhausted. to run down a stag
10. transitive To run against and sink, as a vessel. The Jylland only missed running down a schooner by a few yards in the fog; it was a near thing—near enough, in fact, to allow of some shouted remarks between those on the bridge of the motorship and the man at the wheel of the schooner to be clearly heard.
11. transitive To crush; to overthrow; to overbear. Religion is […]run down by the prevailing licence of these times.
12. slang, transitive To approach (someone, thing or place) aggressively, as to attack. He ran down on Rashad and them.
13. transitive To move (some copy) down to the next line. If they occasionally supply any additional copy after this element, run it down with a manual line break.
14. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see run, down.