drag down
phrasal 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
The index was dragged down yesterday largely because the Mag 7 performed so poorly.
—
Jim Edwards, Fortune, 15 Jan. 2026
But the Wolf Pack dropped to 75 with the loss against SDSU, then slipped to 79 the next day when Boise State — their best win of the season — got drilled at home by Grand Canyon and fell as well, dragging down all their opponents with them.
—Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Jan. 2026
The Super Bowl arrives a little more than 12 weeks from the time Dobbins suffered the injury while being dragged down by Raiders defensive end Tyree Wilson in Week 10, with what Dobbins labeled a hip-drop tackle.
—Nick Kosmider, New York Times, 11 Jan. 2026
Developing shape-shifting aircraft materials Today, projects aimed at developing shape-shifting, or morphing, aircraft are often dragged down by a materials problem.
—Chris Young, Interesting Engineering, 9 Jan. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Drag down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/drag%20down. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
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