1.
If you run people or things down , you criticize them strongly.
He last night denounced the British ‘genius for running ourselves down’.
...that chap who was running down state schools.
PHRASAL VERB : V n P , V P n (not pron)
2.
If people run down an industry or an organization, they deliberately reduce its size or the amount of work that it does. ( mainly BRIT )
The government is cynically running down Sweden’s welfare system...
PHRASAL VERB : V P n (not pron)
3.
If someone runs down an amount of something, they reduce it or allow it to decrease. ( mainly BRIT )
But the survey also revealed firms were running down stocks instead of making new products...
PHRASAL VERB : V P n (not pron)
4.
If a vehicle or its driver runs someone down , the vehicle hits them and injures them.
Lozano claimed that motorcycle driver Clement Lloyd was trying to run him down.
= knock down, run over
PHRASAL VERB : V n P
5.
If a machine or device runs down , it gradually loses power or works more slowly.
The batteries are running down.
PHRASAL VERB : V P
6.
see also run-down