chase down

Related to chase down: pick up after, chase off, get up to

chase down

1. To search for and find someone or something. A noun or pronoun can be used between "chase" and "down." After an hour, the police were finally able to chase the criminal down. I went to five different hardware stores to chase down that part for the heater.
2. To drink two things in quick succession. A noun or pronoun can be used between "chase" and "down." Here, you'll need this to chase that shot down. It helps if you let them chase down the medicine with apple juice.
See also: chase, down
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

chase someone or something down

to track down and seize someone or something. Larry set out to chase the pickpocket down. The police chased down the suspect.
See also: chase, down
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.
See also:
  • not do (someone or oneself) any favors
  • rescue from
  • rescue from (someone or something)
  • ascertain from
  • identify with
  • attune to
  • ask back
  • orient
  • orient to
  • orient to (something)
References in periodicals archive
Lancashire's reluctance to even attempt to chase down the runs was somewhat surprising, given their coach Peter Moores had said after day three: "The way the points are structured this year encourages sides to be aggressive with 16 for a win."
Together, we instilled in one another the inspiration and confidence to chase down dreams and ride them out, whether it be for eight seconds or for a whole lifetime.
Bill Borklund, the father, and Joshua Borklund, the son, have made it a point to interfere in the plans of criminals, even going so far as to chase down petty thieves and armed robbers.
It's the ultimate Fear Factor nightmare: Chase down one of the world's deadliest snakes, grab it by the head, and squeeze the venom from its fangs.
Finding Atlantis: A True Story Of Genius, Madness, And An Extraordinary Quest For A Lost World charts his extraordinary ability to chase down the most diverse clues in his search for the truth.
In preparing the town's IT strategy, Burton says rather than chase down the boom-and-bust employment scenarios associated with hosting outbound call centres, they concentrated on opportunities to create a technology base, stock a talent pool of high tech jobs, and later on provide a source of tech support to private enterprise.
* Focus on Your Strengths: Capitalize on your firm's strengths, says Burns-Thevenot, instead of trying to chase down business that's out of your reach.
This edition makes it possible to recommend an Elizabethan translation to students who wish to chase down the classical sources of the major poets on their syllabus; since the volume is attractively presented and the notes are accessible, these students may well find themselves chasing down yet more sources.
To accomplish this pioneer mission, the shuttle crew first had to chase down the Russian-made Zarya, which has been orbiting Earth since November.
With small fins and relatively little muscle, the foot-long cookie-cutter shark has the classic traits of a sit-and-wait predator: It simply doesn't have the power to chase down prey.
As a real estate brokerage firm specializing in investment sales and mortgage financing, the real challenge this year will be to chase down new product in a market of diminishing opportunities that will be getting tighter over the near term.
Kyle Coetzer and Matthew Cross of Scotland smashed four boundaries in quick succession to chase down the target in a hurry.
But Big Boston shut down completely so the police and the FBI could chase down this one teenager, who was as American as Red Bull and Doritos if not apple pie.
The hosts failed to chase down the total and were dismissed for 139, with Steffan Jenkins destroyer in chief capturing 4-26.
Nonas Curls, the strongest finisher in the race who was flagged up for the forecast spot, ran a huge race to chase down the jolly and failed by just a neck to catch the 30.14sec winner.