bring down to size

English

Verb

bring down to size (third-person singular simple present brings down to size, present participle bringing down to size, simple past and past participle brought down to size)

1. Alternative form of cut down to size
   • 2005, Elizabeth Adler, Invitation to Provence:

     It's part of his control-freak sickness, his let's-play-get-the-girl. Let's tell her she's great, beautiful, sexy, fun ... then let's bring her down to size. All the way down until she's somewhere way beneath him, leaving Marcus on top and in a very superior position.

   • 2012, Andrew Horton, Joanna E. Rapf, A Companion to Film Comedy, page 187:

     For the comic text there is obviously much to enjoy and celebrate in bringing the male predator down to size even though this is achieved precisely by exaggerating his considerable size.

   • 2012, James Marsh, Water Covers All Sins, page 57:

     One could almost think that this was a case of arson—where some of the locals felt that shopkeepers were earning too much money and needed to be brought down to size!