bite down

verb

To bite (something) very hard and usually for a purpose (like to hold it in one's mouth).

“He bit down to force himself not to say anything.”

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Meanings

verbbite down (third-person singular simple present bites down, present participle biting down, simple past bit down, past participle bitten down)

present singular third person bites down · participle present biting down · past bit down · participle past bitten down

  1. intransitiveTo bite (something) very hard and usually for a purpose (like to hold it in one's mouth).

    Biting down on my wallet, I had two hands free to open the door.

  2. intransitiveTo clench with one's teeth.

    He bit down to force himself not to say anything.

  3. figurativelytransitiveTo repress or bite back an (emotion, impulse or reaction).

    She bit down on the urge to strike the woman who had wronged her.

Cite this entry
APA

bite down. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bite%20down

MLA

“bite down.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bite%20down. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “bite down,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bite%20down.

Source: bite down on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.