drive down costs

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "drive down costs" is correct and usable in written English.
It is typically used in a business context to refer to efforts aimed at reducing expenses or lowering prices. Example: "The company implemented new strategies to drive down costs and improve profitability."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Ministers believe de-regulation will both drive down costs and put students, as consumers, in the driving seat of university provision.

BBC

This helps them and other companies drive down costs, which makes it possible to offer lower prices across the board.

TechCrunch

The technological leap has occurred — taller towers and longer, carbon-reinforced blades drive down costs, along with domestic manufacturing of these large components.

The New York Times

Further privatisation will drive down costs.

The Guardian

These have little incentive to drive down costs.

The Economist

The band is looking into ways to drive down costs.

The New York Times

Moreover, BHP expects technological advances will drive down costs.

The New York Times

And they do not expect the federal legislation to drive down costs anytime soon.

The New York Times - Health

In their race to drive down costs, R&D is an unaffordable luxury.

The Economist

Insurers will compete for business, she said, and the increased competition will drive down costs.

The New York Times - Health

"Exchanges force insurance companies to compete and drive down costs for consumers.

The New York Times - Health

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When discussing broad strategies, use "drive down costs" to emphasize a proactive and sustained effort. For example, "The company is implementing a new technology platform to drive down costs across all departments."

Common error

While "drive down costs" is widely understood, avoid using it excessively in casual conversations. Opt for simpler alternatives like "reduce expenses" or "save money" to maintain a natural tone.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "drive down costs" functions as a verb phrase indicating an action aimed at reducing expenses. It is commonly used in business, economics, and policy contexts, as Ludwig examples show.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

55%

Formal & Business

25%

Science

20%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "drive down costs" is a verb phrase commonly used to describe efforts to reduce expenses or prices. Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness and widespread applicability across various domains, including News & Media, Formal & Business, and Science. While the phrase is suitable for formal contexts, simpler alternatives like "reduce expenses" or "save money" might be more appropriate for informal conversations. To "drive down costs" is a proactive strategy to achieve greater efficiency or profitability. The consistent usage and the authoritative sources contribute to a high expert rating, making "drive down costs" a valuable term in business and economic discourse.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

reduce expenditure

This alternative is a more formal way of saying the same thing, using "expenditure" instead of "costs".

lower expenses

This alternative uses simpler vocabulary, replacing "drive down" with "lower" and "costs" with "expenses".

cut spending

This alternative is a more direct and concise way of saying the same thing, using "cut" instead of "drive down" and "spending" instead of "costs".

minimize outlays

This is a more formal and technical alternative, suitable for business or financial contexts, using "minimize" and "outlays".

curtail overheads

This alternative specifically focuses on reducing overhead costs, which are the indirect expenses of running a business.

bring down prices

This alternative focuses on the effect of reducing costs on the final price of a product or service.

economize

This is a single-word alternative that means to use resources carefully and avoid waste.

trim the budget

This alternative is specifically about reducing the amount of money allocated in a budget.

streamline operations to save money

This alternative highlights a method to reduce costs by making processes more efficient.

improve cost-efficiency

This alternative focuses on enhancing the relationship between output and costs.

FAQs

What can I say instead of "drive down costs"?

You can use alternatives like "reduce expenditure", "lower expenses", or "cut spending" depending on the context.

How to use "drive down costs" in a sentence?

The phrase "drive down costs" is typically used to describe actions taken to reduce expenses or prices. For example, "Automation helps companies to drive down costs."

What is the difference between "drive down costs" and "cut corners"?

"Drive down costs" refers to legitimate efforts to reduce expenses, often through efficiency or innovation. "Cut corners", on the other hand, implies sacrificing quality or ethical standards to save money. One phrase has positive connotation while the other doesn't.

Is it appropriate to use "drive down costs" in formal writing?

Yes, "drive down costs" is suitable for formal writing, especially in business or economic contexts. It clearly communicates the intention to reduce expenses, as shown by examples from sources like The Economist and The New York Times.