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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
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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
Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 16 May 2025
The perfect vague yet totally true aphorism to throw at any put-down.
—Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 31 Jan. 2025
David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 23 Sep. 2025
Students at a school district in Kentucky are putting down their phones and cracking books at a record pace now that devices are banned during class, district officials said.
—Joshua Rhett Miller, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for put-down
Noun
And playing him night after night…and then just those put-downs.
—Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 16 May 2025
The perfect vague yet totally true aphorism to throw at any put-down.
—Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 31 Jan. 2025
Verb
Deputies put down spikes ahead of the car, which deflated some of its tires, sheriff’s office spokesman Adam Linhardt said.
—David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 23 Sep. 2025
Students at a school district in Kentucky are putting down their phones and cracking books at a record pace now that devices are banned during class, district officials said.
—Joshua Rhett Miller, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for put-down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for put-down
Noun
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During the speech, however, Kemp periodically deviated from building up Astra to hurling insults at several of his competitors in the launch industry.—
Eric Berger,
ArsTechnica,
25 Sep. 2025
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And as if a constant stream of social media vitriol wasn’t enough of an insult to the venerable lawns, they are subjected to constant meteorological insults as well.—
Paul Cappiello,
Louisville Courier Journal,
24 Sep. 2025
Noun
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In an amusing touch for viewers who can recognize Baker and know his craft, his character is a grump who has nothing but criticism for the Halloween décor.—
J. Kim Murphy,
Variety,
26 Sep. 2025
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Lexington officials faced criticism after the April home explosion, as community members claimed the boy’s death could have been avoided if proper alerts were in place.—
Kendrick Calfee,
Kansas City Star,
26 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Once the contestants are dismissed from the runway, the judges get more into it.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
26 Sep. 2025
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Defense attorneys for the man accused of killing his Miami Hurricanes football star teammate in 2006 want prosecutors sanctioned — or the murder case dismissed — after a key witness, who state prosecutors believed was dead, was found alive by an ESPN reporter.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
25 Sep. 2025
Verb
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One play after recording an interception, Casarez-McCampbell found senior Ben Thrun breaking free on a 40-yard touchdown catch.—
Frank Rajkowski,
Twin Cities,
27 Sep. 2025
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The previous week, Emily was at a sleepover at Heather’s house with Gretchen, when Gretchen, loosened up by shots of Fireball whiskey, revealed that Tamra once recorded a song, badly, according to Gretchen, with an unnamed boy band star that Gretchen claims Tamra got frisky with.—
Peter Larsen,
Oc Register,
27 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Jennings entered the game injured and also appeared to have suffered another injury during Sunday's loss.—
James Brizuela,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Sep. 2025
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But as retail investors push the market higher, and bulls cheer liquidity support and policy tailwinds, some experts are raising questions if the market is entering bubble territory.—
Lee Ying Shan,
CNBC,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The secondary route is a battle upward from the city of Ephyra to Mount Olympus to learn who is aiding Chronos in his siege of the mortal realm and quell it.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
27 Sep. 2025
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Rahm’s fantastic shot quelled any momentum Schauffele and Cantlay had built.—
Ryan Canfield,
FOXNews.com,
27 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Chief Humphrey attributes the positive trends to improved officer morale and a clearer departmental vision.—
Monroe Trombly,
Louisville Courier Journal,
2 Oct. 2025
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The defensive box score will take the traditional box score stats and invert them to attribute the statistics to the defensive player involved.—
Mike Vorkunov,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In the old madrasas, chefs staged feasts that reimagined traditional dishes, turning eating itself into performance.—
Dada Jovanovic,
ABC News,
28 Sep. 2025
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This eats like a parfait—everything is all together in one perfect bite.—
Kimberly Holland,
Southern Living,
27 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Put-down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/put-down. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.
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