copy down/out
phrasal verb
copied down/out; copying down/out; copies down/out
: to write down (words that one is hearing or reading)
Are you copying all of this down?
I copied out the equations on a piece of paper.
Examples of copy down/out in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
To make a quick, local backup of that folder to your computer, log into your Google or Apple account through your web browser, find the file and select the Download option from the menu to pull a copy out of the cloud and onto your computer.
—
Ron Lieber, New York Times, 14 Feb. 2025
He was raised by his grandfather, who asked him to copy out Buddhist scriptures by hand after school, a practice that instilled in him an early appreciation for Tibetan language and culture.
—Tiffany May, New York Times, 13 May 2023
Now, does anyone know if there’s a copy out there of Jason Alexander singing Elephant or Alabama Pines?
—Dallas News, 29 Dec. 2022
Theoretically, a bad actor could copy down the VIN from any car in their area, plug it into the script, and unlock the vehicle to steal something inside.
—Emily Dreibelbis, PCMAG, 5 Dec. 2022
Many of the students gave up, and several medical emergencies erupted, while inside the border post, just two immigration officers struggled to copy down tens of thousands of passport details by hand.
—Drew Hinshaw, WSJ, 2 Mar. 2022
Pulling over again, the driver was met by Woods a second time, who tried to copy down the driver’s tag and called 911 to report a reckless driver, WFTV reported.
—Joe Mario Pedersen, orlandosentinel.com, 14 Dec. 2021
Other researchers have had study participants watch an instructional film about fish-farm management or copy down citations from a reference article about concrete.
—Margaret Talbot, The New Yorker, 20 Aug. 2020
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Ron Lieber, New York Times, 14 Feb. 2025
He was raised by his grandfather, who asked him to copy out Buddhist scriptures by hand after school, a practice that instilled in him an early appreciation for Tibetan language and culture.
—Tiffany May, New York Times, 13 May 2023
Now, does anyone know if there’s a copy out there of Jason Alexander singing Elephant or Alabama Pines?
—Dallas News, 29 Dec. 2022
Theoretically, a bad actor could copy down the VIN from any car in their area, plug it into the script, and unlock the vehicle to steal something inside.
—Emily Dreibelbis, PCMAG, 5 Dec. 2022
Many of the students gave up, and several medical emergencies erupted, while inside the border post, just two immigration officers struggled to copy down tens of thousands of passport details by hand.
—Drew Hinshaw, WSJ, 2 Mar. 2022
Pulling over again, the driver was met by Woods a second time, who tried to copy down the driver’s tag and called 911 to report a reckless driver, WFTV reported.
—Joe Mario Pedersen, orlandosentinel.com, 14 Dec. 2021
Other researchers have had study participants watch an instructional film about fish-farm management or copy down citations from a reference article about concrete.
—Margaret Talbot, The New Yorker, 20 Aug. 2020
Cite this Entry
“Copy down/out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/copy%20down%2Fout. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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