# mark down

CEFR B1 · Phrasal verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/mark-down
Updated: 2026-10-22

## Definition

to reduce the price of something, usually for a sale. You also use it when a teacher gives you a lower grade because of a mistake.

For teachers: To reduce the retail price of an item; also used to describe the act of lowering a student's grade or score. The verb is transitive and optionally separable.

## Examples

- The store marked down the shoes by thirty percent.
- Retailers often mark down seasonal items at the end of the month to clear out old inventory.
- The examiner noted that while the candidate's oral fluency was impressive, they were marked down for consistent grammatical inaccuracies during the formal presentation.

## Pitfalls

- Not "They marked down it." but "They marked it down." — When the object is a pronoun, it must be placed between the verb and the particle.

## Usage notes

- You can put the object between 'mark' and 'down', especially when using pronouns like 'it' or 'them'.
- Teaching tip: Use a shopping catalog or a graded essay to demonstrate the two main senses; it provides a good opportunity to teach the antonym 'mark up'.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.