to hurtle down
2
6.7
- phrasal verb
- /ˈhɜːrtl daʊn/
- I started way back at the entrance to the parking ramp and hurtled down the sidewalk.
- hurtle down the hill
- hurtle down the track
- hurtling down the mountain
Examples
-
Fueled by outrage, he hurtles down the stairs, leveling his weapon at the reinforced door.
Fiction book (1996) -
Max hurtles down the corridor with a young intern in tow.
Fiction book (1992) -
As one, Web and his Charlie Team rose and hurtled down the alley.
Fiction book (2002) -
From a high angle, we see the Dude hurtling down toward the city, dragged by the ball.
Fiction book (1998) -
Riders would come hurtling down, whip around and out the back.
-
And then they hurtle down the corridor, and burst through that door right there.
-
The two vehicles are now locked together, gaining speed as they hurtle down the grade.
Fiction book (1997) -
The crystalline snow swirled about them as they hurtled down toward the farmhouses along Lake Niznije.
Fiction book (1999) -
The lead plane, Windy City, opens its throttles and hurtles down the runway and soars into the sky, surprisingly graceful.
Fiction book (1990) -
The car spins out of control and hurtles down the icy highway at high speed.
Synonyms
122
2.9
To fall or roll suddenly, often turning over
97
5.8
Fall suddenly and steeply from a high place or in amount
81
3.8
To fall or drop suddenly from a higher to a lower place
32
2.5
To flow down a surface like water on a window
23
6.8
To move very fast and with great force like a train or meteor
9
5.4
To fall suddenly, for example by tripping or by losing value
5
6.8
To move very fast and out of control toward something, often causing harm
4
6.7
Fall or fail very quickly and completely
1
7.2
To run or move very quickly without control
Antonyms
How Fast
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase combines 'hurtle' (to move very rapidly with force) with 'down' (to a lower position), so its meaning 'move swiftly and uncontrollably downward' is directly derivable from the constituents. This verb + down composition is a common, transparent motion pattern in English (and in many languages), so a B1 learner who knows both words should be able to infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
The verb hurtle down may come from the picture of something heavy that suddenly hurtles or crashes down a slope, racing forward and hard to stop, so it now means 'to move quickly and out of control'.