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dress down
verb
dressed down; dressing down; dresses down
: to reprove severely
: to dress casually especially for reasons of fashion
Synonyms
Examples of dress down in a Sentence
dressed down for boorish behavior at the dance
Recent Examples on the Web
Elsa Hosk dressed down a blazer with denim at Valentino‘s spring 2025 couture fashion show in Paris on Wednesday.
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Hannah Malach, WWD, 29 Jan. 2025
There were few in the sharply dressed and cavernous Palm Springs Convention Center who dressed down.
—
Pete Hammond, Deadline, 4 Jan. 2025
The coverall-style one-piece is easy to dress up with a pair of boots and a leather jacket, or dress down with some comfy sneakers and a beanie like Paltrow’s.
—
Cai Cramer, People.com, 7 Jan. 2025
Elevate baggy jeans or dress down a dress with this effortless style.
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Kristen Philipkoski, Forbes, 9 Jan. 2025
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Word History
First Known Use
1852, in the meaning defined at transitive sense
Dictionary Entries Near dress down
Cite this Entry
“Dress down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dress%20down. Accessed 8 Feb. 2025.
Kids Definition
dress down
verb1
: to criticize severely
2
: to dress casually
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