What does takedown mean?
Takedown is a noun naming the act of bringing an opponent or person to the ground, most famously in wrestling and other combat sports. A successful takedown leaves the opponent on the mat and often creates an opportunity to score or attempt a pin. The word can also describe a forceful tackle in American football and, in American English, a police arrest. In these contexts, it suggests control, restraint, or the sudden end of someone’s movement. Although the closely related phrase take down has several broader meanings, takedown is especially associated with physical control and sports. The term is useful because it compresses a specific competitive action into a vivid word: a wrestler earns a takedown, a defender records a takedown, and police report making a takedown. Its meanings range from athletic achievement to the forceful apprehension of a person.
nounA takedown is a move in wrestling or a related combat sport that brings an opponent to the ground; by extension, it can mean a forceful act of bringing someone down, a football tackle, or a police arrest.
- A move in wrestling, martial arts, or a related combat sport that brings an opponent to the ground.
- A tackle in American football that brings the ball carrier down.
- An act of arresting someone, especially by police.
"The champion used a swift takedown to put his opponent on the mat."
"He scored with a powerful takedown near the goal line."
"The officers made the takedown after the suspect ran into the warehouse."
The plural is used for separate instances or acts of bringing someone down.
"The defender recorded three takedowns during the game."
A takedown brings a standing opponent to the mat, but in wrestling the pin that follows usually determines the winner.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does takedown come from?
Takedown is an English compound formed from take and down, combining the idea of bringing someone or something into a lower position with that of reducing or controlling it. Take descends from Old English tacan, while down comes from Old English dune, an adverb meaning downwards. The compound developed within English and shares its components with words such as undertake, overtake, downcast, and downfall.
How takedown is actually used
As a single word, takedown is primarily a noun. The wrestling and combat-sports sense is common in British and US English, while the football and police senses are especially associated with US usage. It is distinct from the two-word verb phrase take down, which can also mean dismantling, defeating, stopping, or arresting someone.