count down

Idioms

Count backward from any number to zero to indicate time, as in The final seconds before take off were counted down: 10, 9, 8, etc . The down in this term refers to the decreasing size of the numbers. This usage originated in connection with the firing of missiles and spacecraft and has since been broadened to such events as the roll call of states at a political convention. [c. 1950]
Make final preparations for an event, as in Hong Kong was counting down to the day when it became part of mainland China . This usage is derived from def. 1. [Late 1950s]

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Both sides know the clock is counting down.

From BBC

The man's real name was not known, but he was identifed as "Batman" on the clock counting down his speaking time.

From Barron's

But now that my calendar counting down to the spring equinox has more and more Xs, it’s getting harder.

From Literature

We all count down together—three, two, one—then light them.

From Literature

Workers at Butterfly Effect, an artificial-intelligence startup with Chinese roots, gathered in March to count down to the launch of a demo of a new AI-powered tool called Manus.

From The Wall Street Journal

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023