English Reference
Idiom idiom

duck down


To crouch in order to hide or protect oneself.

Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.


SIMPLE

Duck down so they do not see you.

CONTEXTUAL

When the fireworks started unexpectedly, we had to duck down behind the wall for safety.

COMPLEX

As the stray ball flew toward the crowd, the spectators instinctively ducked down to avoid being struck.


Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    all duck or no dinner

    All or nothing.

  2. 02

    break one's duck

    To do something for the first time.

  3. 03

    dead duck

    One who is in serious danger or trouble.

  4. 04

    duck off

    To lie low; to hide.

  5. 05

    duck out

    To depart quickly or exit abruptly, especially in a manner which does not attract notice and before a meeting, event, etc. has concluded.

  6. 06

    duck soup

    Something which is easy; a piece of cake.

  7. 07

    ducked off

    Lying low; hidden.

  8. 08

    ducks and drakes

    The squandering of resources, especially money; used in expressions such as "to make ducks and drakes of", "to play (at) ducks and drakes with".

Last updated August 10, 2026