Compound words with DOWN

DOWN is a hinge word: 11 words make a compound in front of it and 13 make one after it, so it can sit in the middle of a chain and hold two compounds together at once.

Words that go in front of DOWN

Each of these makes a compound ending in DOWN.

• breakdown — break + down
• countdown — count + down
• letdown — let + down
• lowdown — low + down
• markdown — mark + down
• rundown — run + down
• showdown — show + down
• shutdown — shut + down
• sundown — sun + down
• takedown — take + down
• touchdown — touch + down

Words that follow DOWN

Each of these makes a compound starting with DOWN.

• downfall — down + fall
• downhill — down + hill
• download — down + load
• downright — down + right
• downriver — down + river
• downside — down + side
• downstairs — down + stairs
• downstream — down + stream
• downtime — down + time
• downtown — down + town
• downturn — down + turn
• downward — down + ward
• downwind — down + wind

Why DOWN joins on both sides

DOWN is a direction, so it behaves like OUT and OVER: it attaches to verbs on either side. A SHUTDOWN and a DOWNPOUR use the same particle in opposite positions.

Bridges you can build through DOWN

Put any word from the first list in front and any word from the second behind, and you have a three-word chain in which both neighbouring pairs join. Here are some of them.

• BREAK → DOWN → FALL — breakdown and downfall
• COUNT → DOWN → HILL — countdown and downhill
• LET → DOWN → LOAD — letdown and download
• LOW → DOWN → RIGHT — lowdown and downright
• MARK → DOWN → RIVER — markdown and downriver
• RUN → DOWN → SIDE — rundown and downside
• SHOW → DOWN → STAIRS — showdown and downstairs
• SHUT → DOWN → STREAM — shutdown and downstream
• SUN → DOWN → TIME — sundown and downtime
• TAKE → DOWN → TOWN — takedown and downtown
• TOUCH → DOWN → TURN — touchdown and downturn

Play a bridge

KEYSTONE is a free daily puzzle built entirely out of chains like these. You get the two ends and have to fill the two words in the middle. Three bridges a day, no account, no cookies.

Play today's KEYSTONE

Other hinge words

Each of these has a page like this one. There is also an index of all 60.

AWAY · BACK · BALL · BED · BLACK · BOARD · BOAT · BOOK · BOY · BREAK · CHECK · CROSS · DAY · DOOR · FALL · FATHER · FIRE · FOOT · GROUND · GUARD · GUN · HAND · HEAD · HOOD · HOUSE · LAND · LESS · LIFE · LIGHT · LINE · LOAD · MAN · MOTHER · NIGHT · OFF · OUT · OVER · PAY · POINT · POST · POWER · ROOM · RUN · SET · SHIP · SIDE · SOME · STEP · SUN · TAKE · TIME · TURN · UNDER · WALK · WARD · WATER · WAY · WOOD · WORK