drag down

verb

dragged down; dragging down; drags down
1
: to force (someone) into a bad situation or condition
We cannot let our enemies drag us down to their level.
2
: to make (someone) unhappy
You can't let her bad moods drag you down.
3
: to make (something) lower in amount or quality
High energy costs are dragging down profits.

Examples of drag down in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
By contrast, the equal weight S&P 500 actually hit a record high yesterday—indicating that tech companies are the ones dragging down the broader index. Jim Edwards, Fortune, 2 July 2026 Acclimatized or not, players are still dragged down by the heat. Nancy Walecki, The Atlantic, 2 July 2026 For five months, sentiment ran consistently negative, dragged down by trade disputes, NATO burden-sharing fights and the general friction between Washington and European capitals. Frank Ahrens, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026 Investment in manufacturing, dragged down by declines in metals, chemicals and auto production, fell in May on a year-to-date basis for the first time since December 2020, according to Chinese financial-data provider Wind Information. Anniek Bao,evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 29 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for drag down

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Drag down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/drag%20down. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster