takedown

1 of 3

noun

take·​down ˈtāk-ˌdau̇n How to pronounce takedown (audio)
1
: the action or an act of taking down
2
: something (such as a rifle) having takedown construction

takedown

2 of 3

adjective

take·​down ˈtāk-ˈdau̇n How to pronounce takedown (audio)
: constructed so as to be readily taken apart
a takedown rifle

take down

3 of 3

verb

took down; taken down; taking down; takes down

transitive verb

1
: to lower without removing
took down his pants
2
a
: to pull to pieces
take down a building
b
: disassemble
take a rifle down
3
: to lower the spirit or vanity of
4
a
: to write down
took down some notes
b
: to record by mechanical means

intransitive verb

: to become seized or attacked especially by illness

Examples of takedown in a Sentence

Verb there's no need to take us down by making fun of our clothes electricians will take down all the lights for the set after the play has finished its run
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
And this week on Face the Nation: Congress tries a takedown of TikTok's Chinese ownership, and the split between some allies of Israel and the Netanyahu government grows. CBS News, 17 Mar. 2024 More than five dozen employees with the New York City Housing Authority were charged with accepting cash payments in exchange for giving out contracts, federal officials said, calling it the largest single-day bribery takedown in the Justice Department's history. Minyvonne Burke, NBC News, 6 Feb. 2024 But, as is often the case with reviews, his takedowns of specific restaurants, businesses or buildings seem to have created the most heat behind him. Rory Appleton, The Indianapolis Star, 9 Feb. 2024 The numbers are high despite a surge in efforts to counter ransomware, including occasional takedowns against ransomware groups launched by the Australian and U.S. governments. Kevin Collier, NBC News, 7 Feb. 2024 It is widely believed that the process of taking down publishing interests will likely take a while and will be piecemeal and spotty, potentially forcing the UMPG team to police the platform and to issue takedown notices. Kristin Robinson, Billboard, 2 Feb. 2024 Jane Austen wrote takedowns of this kind of ninny two centuries ago — how fun to see Pike update her twit to the post-Y2K era. Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2024 In most cases, this results in an immediate takedown of the offending bit of advertising and/or cash settlements. Chris Nashawaty, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Mar. 2024 That takedown may have backfired and led to the current spate of health-care attacks and the crisis at pharmacies that can’t tell which customers are insured for which medicines. Joseph Menn, Washington Post, 6 Mar. 2024
Adjective
With Kirby on bottom in the second period and the match scoreless, Lillard conceded an escape point before coming back with a takedown 38 seconds later. Tim Bielik, cleveland, 13 Mar. 2022 Bungie continued: In other words, as far as YouTube is concerned, any person, anywhere in the world, can issue takedown notices on behalf of any rights holder, anywhere. Jon Brodkin, Ars Technica, 28 Mar. 2022 However, Sapp was stunned by Lloyd in overtime, 6-4, with a takedown 29 seconds into the extra session. cleveland, 12 Mar. 2022 So here’s what happened at the most basic level: Early on [in the podcast’s run], her UK publisher had sent a takedown notice to Apple and Spotify. Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 23 Nov. 2021 As YouTubecore arose, labels sent him takedown notices. Catherine Sinow, Ars Technica, 26 Nov. 2020 Since Triller relies on access to a catalog of popular music, the seemingly inevitable path of least resistance (and least takedown notices and lawsuits) will be making deals. Tatiana Cirisano, Billboard, 18 Dec. 2020 Some Discogs record slingers posed as label owners and sent fake takedown notices to manufacture scarcity. Catherine Sinow, Ars Technica, 26 Nov. 2020 The areas forward of most takedown levers serve as a place to rest your support hand thumb and can act as a gas pedal. Chris Mudgett, Outdoor Life, 8 Oct. 2020
Verb
Two years ago a lone hacker took down North Korea’s internet. Steven Levy, WIRED, 5 Apr. 2024 At the same time, our hero is also haunted by the murder of his mom and a traumatic childhood, which fuels Kid’s mission of vengeance to take down those responsible. Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 4 Apr. 2024 The attorney claimed the billboard represented a copyright infringement and asked for the billboard to be taken down within 48 hours, Farmer said, or threatened to take legal action. Caroline Petrow-Cohen, Los Angeles Times, 3 Apr. 2024 For me, the biggest twists along the way were Venmo defeating Twitter and Evernote taking down Spotify. Rhett Jones / Gizmodo, Quartz, 2 Apr. 2024 Interestingly enough, workers can also take down rival nest’s defenses. Gieson Cacho, The Mercury News, 2 Apr. 2024 It was taken down after the duo received a cease-and-desist letter. Winston Cho, The Hollywood Reporter, 2 Apr. 2024 The ship's crew issued a mayday call moments before the crash took down the Francis Scott Key Bridge, enabling authorities to limit vehicle traffic on the span, Maryland's governor said. Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 27 Mar. 2024 Colleyville Heritage defeats Midlothian Heritage Colleyville Heritage (19-0-2) took down Midlothian Heritage (14-9-1) on Tuesday at Midlothian ISD Stadium, advancing to the area round. Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'takedown.' 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

Noun

1858, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1893, in the meaning defined above

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2a

Time Traveler
The first known use of takedown was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near takedown

Cite this Entry

“Takedown.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/takedown. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.

Kids Definition

takedown

1 of 2 noun
take·​down
ˈtāk-ˌdau̇n
: the action or an act of taking down
takedown
ˌtāk-ˌdau̇n
adjective

take down

2 of 2 verb
(ˈ)tāk-ˈdau̇n
1
a
: to pull to pieces
2
: to lower the spirit or pride of : humble
3
: to write down or record by mechanical means
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!