takedown
n. countablen. the act of defeating someone or removing something from the internet. You use this when a wrestler pins an opponent or when a website removes a post.
n. the act of defeating, disarming, or removing someone or something from a position of influence or visibility. Often refers to physical grappling in sports or the removal of digital content due to legal or policy violations.
The wrestler scored points for a perfect takedown.
The video platform issued a takedown of the clip after the studio filed a copyright claim.
The journalist's latest article was a systematic takedown of the senator's economic policy, exposing several inconsistencies in the proposed budget.
Deverbal from take down.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Commonly used in sports, law enforcement, and digital rights contexts.
The police take down the suspect.The police performed a takedown of the suspect.Learners often confuse the one-word noun 'takedown' with the two-word phrasal verb 'take down'.
Last updated May 11, 2026