Double down means stick to your course even harder, often after a setback or criticism: after the first setback, the team doubled down on training. Whether it's praise depends on what's being defended: more training is determination, but sticking to a false claim is stubbornness. The image is from blackjack: doubling your bet.
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double down; double down on + noun / -ing
- After the first setback, the team doubled down on training.
- Instead of withdrawing the claim, he doubled down.
- The company is doubling down on developing smaller devices.
What changed
First versionThey doubled down in their commitment to local suppliers.
RevisionThey doubled down on their commitment to local suppliers.
Invest in and believe in suggest in, so doubled down in their commitment appears. But the focus is introduced by on: doubled down on their commitment. After on comes a noun or an -ing verb: double down on improving.
Step up means simply increase your effort: step up training before the match. Double down means commit even harder despite doubts or criticism: critics laughed, but she doubled down on the idea. The opposite is back down: give up your position.
Your turn
Complete the expression for becoming more determined: The team doubled down ___ improving the design.
Show the answer
on — The focus is introduced by on, and after a preposition the verb takes -ing: doubled down on improving. At doesn't fit here.
Describe someone who didn't give up after a failure but worked at it even harder.
After the disappointing rehearsal, the musicians doubled down on practising the difficult passages.
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