draw down

present singular third person draws down · participle present drawing down · past drew down · participle past drawn down

1. transitiveTo lower (curtains, a portcullis, etc.).
2. transitiveTo reduce (e.g. by withdrawal).

   If there is confidence that the current strategy is working, then that should enable the United States to steadily draw down its forces starting in July, based on conditions on the ground,[…]

   2010, Richard Lee Armitage, Samuel R. Berger, Daniel Seth Markey, US Strategy for Pakistan and Afghanistan, Council on Foreign Relations, →ISBN

   1. transitiveTo initiate a drawdown (withdrawal of equipment, supplies, etc., potentially to provide it to another party).

      DRAWDOWN OF EQUIPMENT IN STORAGE Mr. ADDABBO. General, in the event of sudden need for drawdown would you draw down from your modern equipments or would you draw down from equipment that is in storage, the older equipment?

      1974, United States. Congress. House. Committee on Appropriations, Second Supplemental Appropriation Bill, 1974: Hearings Before Subcommittees of the Committee on Appropriations, House of Representatives, Ninety-third Congress, Second Session, page 601

3. transitiveTo acquire or pull in, as funding.

   We need to draw down 10 million dollars.

4. slangTo pull out a firearm and point it at someone.