1
as in insult
an act or expression showing scorn and usually intended to hurt another's feelings
new hires always have to deal with put-downs and practical jokes from the older employees
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in criticism
the act of making a person or a thing seem little or unimportant
your never-ending put-down of my musical talents is really starting to annoy me
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to dismiss
to express scornfully one's low opinion of
he has the annoying habit of putting down others under the guise of offering constructive criticism
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to record
to make a written note of
we had the whole agreement put down on paper
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in to enter
to put (someone or something) on a list
put her down as one of the chaperones for the field trip
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to quell
to put a stop to (something) by the use of force
a tyrant who ruthlessly put down uprisings
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in to attribute
to explain (something) as being the result of something else
a fender bender that probably can be put down to the young driver's inexperience
Synonyms & Similar Words
6
as in to eat
to take in as food
the husky youngster seemed to put down her own weight in food at one sitting
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of put-down
Madeline Hirsch,
InStyle,
17 Feb. 2026
Crockett, a representative from a deep-blue district that includes much of Dallas, has attained fame with snappy put-downs of Republicans, many of which have gone viral on social media.
—
Jonathan Chait,
The Atlantic,
5 Feb. 2026
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
22 June 2026
With Matthew Potts and Ben Raine taking the new ball, Stokes had come on in the 11th over of the first day’s play and had a straightforward chance put down at leg slip by Ben McKinney from his fourth delivery.
—
Hector Vickers,
New York Times,
21 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for put-down
Noun
Watch a season of the Y2K reality juggernaut and the tone will vacillate wildly between cringe-worthy put-downs via Janice Dickinson, cringier photoshoots, feel-good runway lessons with Miss J, and body positivity monologues from Tyra Banks.
—
Madeline Hirsch,
InStyle,
17 Feb. 2026
Crockett, a representative from a deep-blue district that includes much of Dallas, has attained fame with snappy put-downs of Republicans, many of which have gone viral on social media.
—
Jonathan Chait,
The Atlantic,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
That part of you which wakes up a little earlier, to catch the first break of daylight over the Smokies; which pushes a little harder to climb that rock wall, puts down the phone and instead considers the simple wonder of a 200-year-old oak tree.
—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
22 June 2026
With Matthew Potts and Ben Raine taking the new ball, Stokes had come on in the 11th over of the first day’s play and had a straightforward chance put down at leg slip by Ben McKinney from his fourth delivery.
—
Hector Vickers,
New York Times,
21 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for put-down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for put-down
Noun
-
In recent weeks, Avila Chevalier has been under a microscope for her past tweets, including posts calling for defunding the police and abolishing the border, alongside harsh insults of big-name Democrats such as former Vice President Kamala Harris.
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Michael Lind, the writer and New America co-founder, argues in Commonplace, the magazine of Oren Cass’s American Compass, that a decent wage and a safety net should be enough, and that handing workers a stake in capital insults the dignity of their labor.
Noun
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The Supreme Court's decision to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for 160,000 Haitians in South Florida and hundreds of thousands more nationwide has drawn sharp criticism from local officials and raised concerns about the future of families in the region.
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The investigation also compliments previous claims that CCC’s regulations impede coastal infrastructure projects, which has drawn criticism from multiple political fronts over the last year.
Verb
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The firms asked the judge to dismiss the case Wednesday, arguing Uber had failed to prove fraud.
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Delta denied this in its legal response, seeking to dismiss the case.
Verb
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That proved to be too much to overcome for the Mets, who didn’t record another hit after Young’s one-out single in the fourth until Francisco Lindor lined a single with two outs in the ninth.
-
Eight of Chicago’s nine starters recorded a hit.
Verb
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Israeli troops advanced to its outskirts and didn’t enter, but their strikes pummeled what had been an economic powerhouse of Shiite business affluence.
-
Check with lifeguards before entering the ocean for possible hazards you may be swept into.
Verb
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Newsom has not said if the newer version of the bill quells this concern.
-
For those who are worried, this might help to quell fears.
Verb
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Public health officials attribute the decline to ongoing investments in prevention and harm reduction resources countywide.
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The fund attributed the decline to the persistent and intensifying gang violence, ongoing political instability, infrastructure challenges and rising fuel prices linked to the conflict in the Middle East.
Verb
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Kansas City Council member Melissa Patterson Hazley spent most of her day in the district attending openings for new businesses, visiting shows and eating at restaurants.
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After eating, some of the nuns are wheeled out into the sun, but there are not enough wheelchairs.
Cite this Entry
“Put-down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/put-down. Accessed 28 Jun. 2026.
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