talk down
verb
talked down; talking down; talks down
: to speak in a condescending or oversimplified fashion
: to disparage or belittle by talking
Synonyms
Examples of talk down in a Sentence
a company that prefers to talk up its own products rather than talk down those of its competitors
Recent Examples on the Web
Each episode saw Burns pause for young viewers at home to reply to his questions; eventually nominated for nine Emmy Awards, Blue’s Clues was renowned for emphasizing social and emotional skills and for not talking down to kids.
—
Kevin Dolak, The Hollywood Reporter, 25 Mar. 2024
Following Paul Atreides, a young heir with superhuman powers fighting for control of the planet Arrakis, Villeneuve's Dune was lauded for its stunning technical craft — which won six Oscars — and grand-scale storytelling that doesn't talk down to the audience.
—Johnny Loftus, EW.com, 14 Nov. 2023
Allies would love to know: Since Russia invaded Ukraine, French President Emmanuel Macron has drawn ire for clinging to the idea that President Putin could be talked down.
—Adela Suliman, Washington Post, 5 Oct. 2023
Administrators at the Mesquite charter school tried to talk down the student who on Feb. 19 brought the handgun into the school and pulled it out in an administrator’s office, newly released 911 audio revealed.
—James Hartley, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Feb. 2024
No one likes to be lectured, and no one wants to be talked down to.
—Meghan Leahy, Washington Post, 14 Feb. 2024
From insta-stalking accusations, a man in the year 2023 talking down on a woman for wearing makeup, to only two couples barely making it down the aisle, Houston’s season has been an interesting experience, to say the least.
—James Grebey, Vulture, 13 Oct. 2023
Craig, as has always been the case with Blume, never tries to talk down to her pre-teen audience or dismiss their intelligence.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 11 July 2023
Tensions between Israel and Qatar were recently heightened after leaked audio surfaced of Netanyahu talking down Doha's efforts while in conversation with Israeli hostage families.
—Margaret Brennan, CBS News, 28 Jan. 2024
Kevin Dolak, The Hollywood Reporter, 25 Mar. 2024
Following Paul Atreides, a young heir with superhuman powers fighting for control of the planet Arrakis, Villeneuve's Dune was lauded for its stunning technical craft — which won six Oscars — and grand-scale storytelling that doesn't talk down to the audience.
—Johnny Loftus, EW.com, 14 Nov. 2023
Allies would love to know: Since Russia invaded Ukraine, French President Emmanuel Macron has drawn ire for clinging to the idea that President Putin could be talked down.
—Adela Suliman, Washington Post, 5 Oct. 2023
Administrators at the Mesquite charter school tried to talk down the student who on Feb. 19 brought the handgun into the school and pulled it out in an administrator’s office, newly released 911 audio revealed.
—James Hartley, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Feb. 2024
No one likes to be lectured, and no one wants to be talked down to.
—Meghan Leahy, Washington Post, 14 Feb. 2024
From insta-stalking accusations, a man in the year 2023 talking down on a woman for wearing makeup, to only two couples barely making it down the aisle, Houston’s season has been an interesting experience, to say the least.
—James Grebey, Vulture, 13 Oct. 2023
Craig, as has always been the case with Blume, never tries to talk down to her pre-teen audience or dismiss their intelligence.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 11 July 2023
Tensions between Israel and Qatar were recently heightened after leaked audio surfaced of Netanyahu talking down Doha's efforts while in conversation with Israeli hostage families.
—Margaret Brennan, CBS News, 28 Jan. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'talk down.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near talk down
Cite this Entry
“Talk down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/talk%20down. Accessed 3 May. 2024.
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