shoot someone down—
1. kill a person by a shot (usually implying merciless cruelty):
- I have witnessed several of their battles, and it appears to be the first object to shoot down, or otherwise kill a man.
2. bring down an aircraft (hence a pilot) by shooting:
- His father believes he is still alive fifteen years after he was shot down over Germany.
shoot someone down in flames—
1. = shoot someone down 2:
- Ernie had a memorable experience in this operation when he was shot down in flames and rescued in a few hours.
2. bring about smb.’s downfall:
- Let’s wait until he’s gone too far to draw back, and then we can produce our evidence and shoot him down in flames.
3. overcome a person in argument:
- She herself had been a little shocked by his answer, but had secretly enjoyed seeing Eileen shot down in flames.