Phrasal verb
come down on
Definition
phrasal verb. to punish or criticize someone very strongly.
phrasal verb. to reprimand or penalize a person or group with significant severity; often used in contexts of authority or law enforcement.
Examples
“The boss will come down on you if you are late again.”
“The government has promised to come down on companies that do not pay their fair share of taxes.”
“Regulatory bodies are expected to come down on the financial sector following the discovery of widespread accounting irregularities.”
Examples
simple
“The boss will come down on you if you are late again.”
contextual
“The government has promised to come down on companies that do not pay their fair share of taxes.”
complex
“Regulatory bodies are expected to come down on the financial sector following the discovery of widespread accounting irregularities.”
Usage
usually followed by 'hard' or 'heavily' to add emphasis to the severity of the punishment.
Teaching tip
this is a three-part phrasal verb; help students visualize the 'down' as a heavy weight or pressure falling from an authority figure onto a subordinate.
Pitfall
The teacher came down her students.
The teacher came down on her students.
the preposition 'on' is essential to connect the action to the person being punished.
Phrasal verb
Particles
down on
Separability
inseparable
Pattern
come + down + on + object
Synonyms
Antonyms
Grammar
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/come-down-on