take down
mediumneutral to informal; common in everyday speech and various contexts.
Definition
Meaning
To remove something from a higher position or to record something in writing.
Can also mean to dismantle, defeat, humiliate, or disable something, such as a system or opponent.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Meaning depends on context: physical removal (e.g., taking down a poster), recording information (e.g., taking down notes), or metaphorical defeat (e.g., taking down an opponent).
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Minimal; both varieties use it similarly in meaning and frequency.
Connotations
Slight informal connotation in both, but acceptable in formal writing when context-appropriate.
Frequency
Equally common in British and American English.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
transitive: take something downtransitive: take down somethingVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “take down a peg or two”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
To record minutes of a meeting or remove outdated information from records.
Academic
To transcribe lecture notes or document research findings.
Everyday
To remove decorations from a wall or write down a phone number.
Technical
To disable a server or system for maintenance.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- Please take down the old curtains from the window.
- She took down the lecture notes in shorthand.
American English
- Take down the holiday lights after New Year's.
- He took down the competitor's argument during the debate.
adverb
British English
- He handled the situation take-down style, with careful notes.
- The poster came down take-down easily.
American English
- She operated take-down quick during the audit.
- The flag was lowered take-down slow at the ceremony.
adjective
British English
- The takedown procedure for the equipment is documented.
- A takedown notice was issued for the copyright infringement.
American English
- The takedown process for the website was swift.
- They filed a takedown request with the platform.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- Can you take down this box from the top shelf?
- I need to take down your address.
- She took down the phone message while I was out.
- They decided to take down the broken sign.
- The journalist took down every quote accurately from the interview.
- The team managed to take down the leading player in the tournament.
- During the merger, they had to take down all conflicting data from the systems.
- The lawyer took down the witness's testimony verbatim for the case.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine taking down a note from a bulletin board to remember it—linking removal and recording.
Conceptual Metaphor
Knowledge as captured writing; defeat as physical lowering of status.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid literal translation like 'брать вниз'; use 'записывать' for recording or 'снимать' for removing.
- Confusing with 'опускать' which can mean to lower physically but not always in context.
Common Mistakes
- Incorrect word order: using 'down take' instead of 'take down'.
- Using it intransitively without an object, e.g., 'He took down.' instead of 'He took it down.'
Practice
Quiz
What does 'take down' primarily mean in the sentence: 'The hacker took down the network for hours.'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is generally neutral but can lean informal; however, it is acceptable in formal contexts when used appropriately, such as in business or academic writing.
Not always; 'take down' often implies recording from an external source (e.g., a speech or board), while 'write down' is more general for any writing act.
The meaning remains largely the same, but minor usage preferences might exist, such as 'take down notes' being common in both, with no significant regional variation.
Learners often misuse word order (e.g., 'down take') or forget the object, and may confuse it with similar phrasal verbs like 'take off' or 'take out'.