shoot somebody/something ↔ down phrasal verb ( see also ↑ shoot )
1 . to make an enemy plane crash to the ground, by firing weapons at it:
His plane was shot down over France in 1944.
2 . to kill or seriously injure someone by shooting them, especially someone who cannot defend themselves:
The army were accused of shooting down unarmed demonstrators.
3 . informal to say or show that someone’s ideas or opinions are wrong or stupid:
I tried to help, but all my suggestions were shot down in flames, as usual.