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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Jenna Ryu, SELF, 27 Mar. 2025
Ageism shows up, for example, in some commercials, with the cliched generational put-downs.
—Chicago Tribune, 8 Feb. 2025
John Hopewell, Variety, 18 June 2025
Paris Saint-Germain 4 Atletico Madrid 0 – European champions put down a marker with clinical win
Paris Saint-Germain secured a comfortable win over Atletico Madrid in Group B. Our writers break down the key talking points...
—Liam Tharme, New York Times, 16 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for put-down
Noun
Some in-laws may be more subtle with their put-downs.
—Jenna Ryu, SELF, 27 Mar. 2025
Ageism shows up, for example, in some commercials, with the cliched generational put-downs.
—Chicago Tribune, 8 Feb. 2025
Verb
Part of Season 1’s success may be put down to its offering a fresh take on daily life in smaller city rural Portugal, Cunha Telles noted at Conecta Fiction.
—John Hopewell, Variety, 18 June 2025
Paris Saint-Germain 4 Atletico Madrid 0 – European champions put down a marker with clinical win
Paris Saint-Germain secured a comfortable win over Atletico Madrid in Group B. Our writers break down the key talking points...
—Liam Tharme, New York Times, 16 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for put-down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for put-down
Noun
-
Under it, anyone who defames, insults or threatens the King, Queen, heir apparent, or regent faces three to 15 years in prison.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
26 June 2025
-
To suggest that the lawsuit is a look into the past insults understatement, and in the process calls into question the worth of the FTC.—
John Tamny,
Forbes.com,
25 June 2025
Noun
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Lander’s criticism of Israel is much more muted and that of a liberal Zionist.—
Steven W. Thrasher
June 26,
Literary Hub,
26 June 2025
-
After Fox News announced Trump's hiring, criticism followed.—
Jay Stahl,
USA Today,
26 June 2025
Verb
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The decision dismissed most claims in the lawsuit filed by authors who alleged that their books were used, without permission, to train Anthropic’s Claude AI models.—
Tor Constantino,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2025
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The Post, like much of New York city’s establishment, was already dismissing Mamdani as too extreme to win in the Democratic mayoral primary.—
Max Tani,
semafor.com,
30 June 2025
Verb
-
South Korean arms have been popular in recent years as defense spending surged, sending shares of the country’s defense firms to record highs.—
Lee Ying Shan,
CNBC,
25 June 2025
-
Federal researchers are reporting the lowest number of migrating gray whale calves ever recorded off the West Coast.—
Susanne Rust,
Los Angeles Times,
25 June 2025
Verb
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The irreplaceable power of human relationships — of teacher-student trust — must remain central, especially as AI enters the classroom.—
C.M. Rubin,
Forbes.com,
2 July 2025
-
In the wake of three-point shooting forward Duncan Robinson’s decision to exercise the early-termination in his contract for next season to become an unrestricted free agent, the Miami Heat enters free agency with a bit of flexibility to improve its roster despite nearly having a full roster.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
1 July 2025
Verb
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Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell defended his department’s handling of recent protests, saying officers acted appropriately to quell unrest — pushing back against criticism about aggressive crowd control tactics used during demonstrations against President Trump’s immigration crackdown.—
Libor Jany,
Los Angeles Times,
24 June 2025
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President Donald Trump just announced a ceasefire between the Middle Eastern countries—potentially quelling oil market fears of Iran’s plans to close the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway to global oil trade.—
Nino Paoli,
Fortune,
23 June 2025
Verb
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Even more disturbingly, the FBI attributes at least 20 suicides of young boys to sextortion.—
Steve Weisman,
Forbes.com,
5 July 2025
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Moulton attributes the community’s interest in the arts, and the festival’s national reputation, to its continuous appeal.—
Zoey Thomas,
The Orlando Sentinel,
5 July 2025
Verb
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The successful hatchings come about a year after Scout ate two of his chicks as a first-time dad, leaving the pair with no surviving eaglets from their first nesting season, McClatchy News previously reported.—
Olivia Lloyd,
Miami Herald,
24 Mar. 2025
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The calls came while eating lunch, while lying in bed at night.—
Max Klaver,
Miami Herald,
24 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Put-down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/put-down. Accessed 8 Jul. 2025.
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