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 ~ 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