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Glite Dictionary
🎖️ In a combat zone 🎯 Toward the target area
downrange

downrange

1 8.4
Away from home base in a military area abroad
  • adverb
  • /ˈdaʊnreɪndʒ/
  • Jargon
translation icon : en el extranjero
  • The unit moved downrange to assess the situation after the explosion.
  • miles downrange

Examples

  • We watched the missiles travel downrange during the military demonstration.

  • The battle will be won or lost before the first round goes downrange.

    Blog text (21)

  • By the way, Joe, Ted, I actually, the first time I met him was downrange, I believe Afghanistan, I think is where we met.

  • I split the team again, sent Diller downrange.

    12 Strong (2018)

  • Our platoon was headed downrange.

    Act of Valor (2012)

  • I've already sent Diller downrange.

    12 Strong (2018)

  • The soldiers prepared their equipment before heading downrange for training.

How Far

abroad
343 1.0
downrange
  • Jargon
1 8.4
away
  • Jargon
1 7.5
off-base
2 6.8
nearby
325 1.0

Surface Forms

downrange positive

Morphology

downrange = range (semi-transparent) = down + range

The components 'down' + 'range' give a directional sense, but this particular military/operational usage is jargon-like and may not be obvious to all learners. [Postprocessing: moved 'down' from base_words to prefix]

Etymology

The word downrange joins down ('away' or 'toward') and range ('area' or 'distance'), so you can picture someone 'down the range' from home. That's why being downrange in military talk means being sent out away from the home base into an operational or combat area.