build down
build down
To decrease or lessen. That group encourages the government to build down on wasteful spending. Give the traffic some time to build down before you leave the office—otherwise, you'll just sit on the highway for an hour.
See also: build, down
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
build down
[for traffic] to reduce in volume or diminish. At about six, the going-home traffic begins to build down. When traffic builds down, I leave for home.
See also: build, down
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.
build down
Reduce, diminish, as in Owing to increased vigilance, traffic in narcotics is finally building down. This term, the antonym of build up, came into use about 1980 with regard to reducing the stockpile of nuclear weapons and soon was applied more widely.
See also: build, down
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
- hew down
- build out of
- build out of (something)
- a better mousetrap
- mousetrap
- built
- build
- fools build houses and wise men live in them
- build in
- make a big thing (out) of (something)