take lying down

1. Submit to an insult, rebuke, or other harsh treatment without resisting, as in He won't take that snub lying down. This idiom uses lying down in the sense of “passively.” [Late 1800s] Also see take it, def. 2.

Example Sentences

My stepfather was very sick at the end and before that spent much of his free time in bed reading, so many of his photos seemed to be taken lying down.

From New York Times

It is not a punishment that the clubs fans – and especially not its owners in Abu Dhabi – are likely to take lying down, says Jonathan Liew.

From The Guardian

But there's one criticism, it seems, he won't take lying down.

From US News

Of course, you will have to be taken lying down because as far as the Journal goes you're dead.

From Project Gutenberg

But don’t believe that I am going to take lying down what may be coming to us.

From Project Gutenberg