stare down

verb

stared down; staring down; stares down

transitive verb

: to cause to waver or submit by or as if by staring

Examples of stare down in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The Valor Christian sophomore is staring down a potential sweep of the 5A girls sprints with the top seed times in the 100 (11.94 seconds), 200 (24.46) and 400 (55.74) — the latter of which also happens to be the top time in the state, regardless of classification. Kyle Newman, The Denver Post, 15 May 2024 But Russell, the county homelessness official, said looming spending cuts as state and local officials stare down massive budget deficits could threaten that progress. Ethan Varian, The Mercury News, 15 May 2024 Back at London's Blue Sky Studios, Cooke stares down D'Arcy in their literal game of chess. EW.com, 14 May 2024 But George’s basic advice would be familiar to anyone staring down retirement: Stay busy. Emma Goldberg Sarah Mollo-Christensen Tanya Pérez Sharon Kearney, New York Times, 9 May 2024 Joined by a stunning choir of gospel singers, the 69-year-old singer — who also served as the night’s host — passionately belted the lyrics to her latest track while staring down the camera, her red hair matching the curtain of pyrotechnic flames that sprung to life behind her. Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 3 Sep. 2019 As Soho House stares down its 30th birthday, a younger, buzzier generation of competitors has gained a foothold in some of its key markets. Maria Aspan, Fortune, 2 May 2024 Riordan stared down Hawaii hitter Austin Machado all the way to the bag. Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Apr. 2024 In the second version, Meg stares down the camera in a red bodysuit patterned with cutouts. Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 22 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'stare down.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1798, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of stare down was in 1798

Dictionary Entries Near stare down

Cite this Entry

“Stare down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stare%20down. Accessed 23 May. 2024.

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