change down

change down

To change to a lower gear while driving. You'll probably need to change down to first gear to climb this steep hill.
See also: change, down
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

change down

v.
To switch to a lower gear when driving a motor vehicle: The driver changed down to third gear coming into the turn.
See also: change, down
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs.
See also:
  • go through the change
  • change is the only constant in life
  • constant
  • the damage is done
  • evolve
  • quite a change
  • the change (of life)
  • the change of life
  • change of life
  • change
References in periodicals archive
I see there's not much change down in Cardiff Bay in the hot house of smoke and mirrors.
But yesterday, Dario, from Bathgate, West Lothian, admitted he can't change down a gear.
It is clearly not the kind of cash you find in loose change down the back of a sofa.
But a VDA statement put the change down to more work days in April rather than a true recovery.
When asked how he is adjusting to the new surroundings, he played the change down.
Acceleration is brilliant in the gears, with huge torque meaning there's no need to change down a gear so that overtaking is always easy and safe.
Most people lose their loose change down the folds of a sofa but Tom Cruise lost his self-respect down Oprah's.
Older drivers were taught to "change down" the gears, going from fourth to third to second and finally first.
LET Motoring Myles solve your car crisis and vehicular vexations by sending your query by email to Q I own a 1997 Ford Puma 1.7 and when approaching a junction or lights my car shakes if I try to free wheel in gear unless I change down a gear.
Clashing their diamante-studded heels and competing for a glittering pounds 1,000 prize - surely just loose change down the back of the chaise longue to these girls - are Chantelle Tagoe, fiance of England and Aston Villa striker Heskey; Jude Cisse, wife of France''s Djibril; Jessica Lawlor, the better half of Republic of Ireland''s Stephen Ireland; and Page Three beauty Nicola T, fiance of Crewe''s Simon Walton.
This follows the snippet in midweek that revealed we apparently have pounds 57m in loose change down the back of our sofas.
The Smart uses a rally car type of sequential gearbox; nudge the gearlever forward to change up; pull it back to change down. It becomes huge fun matching the throttle response to the gear changes.
However, Air Marshal Barbora assured the aspiring women officers that there would be a change down the line.
"When you live in a country like ours calling out for change - who would want to slow change down, to be a brake on progress?" He challenged David Cameron to apologise for the flooding of Tryweryn, like he had for apartheid and to the gay community over Section 28.