cry down

verb

Definition of cry downnext
as in to dismiss
to express scornfully one's low opinion of she cried down any party to which she wasn't invited

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for cry down
  1. dismiss
  2. minimize
  3. diminish
  4. talk down
  5. run down
  6. play down
Verb
  • Ben-Gvir dismisses concerns that such policies would cement Israel’s status as a pariah state.
    — Eric Cortellessa, Time, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Lower courts had dismissed the case because Asian American students were not underrepresented at the magnet schools compared with the pool of students that applied.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of dismiss
Verb
  • The frack happening beneath us was about half as deep as Mount Everest is high, in a section of oil-rich rock that used to be considered out of reach; other innovations allow for simultaneous fracks, minimizing downtime.
    — Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Eco effort As a camp that focuses on conservation, minimizing environmental impact is the cornerstone of the Wilderness Desert Rhino ethos.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of minimize
Verb
  • Though apparently diminishing his own roster is part of the team's motivational playbook.
    — Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Granderson doesn’t believe that repeat celebrations diminish the significance of the ultimate prize, the World Series.
    — Don Riddell, CNN Money, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of diminish
Verb
  • Police chief Fuller is correct — talking down a place can be self-fulfilling.
    — Michael Walker, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Oversimplifying things, on the other hand, would leave hardcore fans feeling as if they were being talked down to.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of talk down
Verb
  • The silhouette was mostly formfitting and streamlined, with emphasis at the hips and waist and a continuation of the contrasting sheer, black fabric running down the column skirt.
    — Julia Teti, Footwear News, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Models literally ran down the catwalk at times during Adidas’ high-octane show with multiple acts.
    — Stephy Chung, CNN Money, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of run down
Verb
  • The Singapore Shipping Association also played down the prospect of a broad withdrawal of commercial shipping from the region, suggesting operators would instead adapt to changing trade conditions.
    — Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The president of the European Central Bank played down speculation about intervention in France’s ballooning budget crisis on Wednesday.
    — John Liu, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of play down
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

crybaby
cry down
cry (for)
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Cry down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cry%20down. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of puissant

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Oct. 23

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All