1
as in to ridicule
to make (someone or something) the object of unkind laughter
nowadays the aging activist is routinely shot down in most quarters of the media and dismissed as an irrelevant crank
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to dismiss
to reject by or as if by a vote
every one of my fund-raising ideas was shot down by the other club members
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to refute
to prove to be false
the results of several studies shoot down the hypothesis that coffee causes heart attacks
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of shoot down
The man used a firearm to shoot down a police drone deployed during the standoff, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
—
Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 15 Oct. 2025
However, when Horowitz suggested the idea of Fishburne potentially joining the Star Wars universe, the actor shot down the idea faster than Han Solo shot Greedo.
—Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly, 14 Oct. 2025
The discussion comes weeks after both Michelle and Barack Obama had to shoot down divorce rumors.
—Stylecaster Editors, StyleCaster, 11 Oct. 2025
Germany will grant police the power to shoot down rogue drones like those that have disrupted airports across Europe and that some European leaders have attributed to a hybrid war being waged by Russia.
—Reuters, NBC news, 8 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shoot down
Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 15 Oct. 2025
However, when Horowitz suggested the idea of Fishburne potentially joining the Star Wars universe, the actor shot down the idea faster than Han Solo shot Greedo.
—Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly, 14 Oct. 2025
The discussion comes weeks after both Michelle and Barack Obama had to shoot down divorce rumors.
—Stylecaster Editors, StyleCaster, 11 Oct. 2025
Germany will grant police the power to shoot down rogue drones like those that have disrupted airports across Europe and that some European leaders have attributed to a hybrid war being waged by Russia.
—Reuters, NBC news, 8 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shoot down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shoot down
Verb
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When he wasn’t being ridiculed and ignored, Tupac was writing.—
Jeff Pearlman,
Rolling Stone,
17 Oct. 2025
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Altman served up an easy target for his critics to ridicule.—
Reed Albergotti,
semafor.com,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Venables was dismissed early in the next campaign following three straight defeats, but Lineker went on to net another 20 times that season, helping win the Copa del Rey under Luis Aragones.—
Dermot Corrigan,
New York Times,
23 Oct. 2025
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Court rules don't allow plaintiffs to submit additional evidence to counter a motion to dismiss, Alex said.—
Paul Egan,
Freep.com,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In their letter Tuesday, Smith's attorneys sought to refute a narrative stemming from a document released by the FBI on the eve of Attorney General Pam Bondi's appearance before the Senate Judiciary Committee earlier this month.—
Alexander Mallin,
ABC News,
21 Oct. 2025
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Like Dunbar’s speakers, Hughes’s dispossessed have no way out, and the poem implicitly refutes optimism regarding the Great Migration and racial progress.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The principal of a Chicago elementary school that employs a teacher who appeared to mock the assassination of Charlie Kirk apparently portrayed the educator as a victim amid backlash over her behavior.—
Louis Casiano,
FOXNews.com,
22 Oct. 2025
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He has already been known to privately mock conservative pastors.—
Rev. Nathan Empsall,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Four people were killed and another four were injured in two head-on collisions on Arkansas roads Friday and Saturday, according to preliminary police reports.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
19 Oct. 2025
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Listeria infects 1,250 people in the United States each year, according to the CDC, and kills about 172.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
19 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Newsom ultimate vetoed a more restrictive piece of AI chatbot legislation that was supported by some online safety advocates, including the parents of Orange County teen Adam Raine, who died by suicide after using AI for companionship.—
Kate Wolffe
October 23,
Sacbee.com,
23 Oct. 2025
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While the governor, Josh Stein, is a Democrat, state law does not allow the governor to veto redistricting plans.—
Joseph Ax,
USA Today,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
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By refusing to specify details of the case, the government keeps the possibility alive of changing their reasoning or their claims to have the same effect for different reasons—just as the mob changes its reasoning for killing Cinna.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
23 Oct. 2025
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If Taiwan refuses to capitulate in a quarantine or blockade, an invasion could follow.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In April, Moody’s revised the rating outlook for Thailand to negative from stable, flagging rising political uncertainty and sustained growth weakness.—
Lim Hui Jie,
CNBC,
1 Sep. 2025
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On the way to scoring a 25-19, 25-9, 25-4 victory, UW was not blocked once, held the Bobcats to negative hitting in each set and in the final set tied a program record for fewest points allowed in a set.—
Mark Stewart,
Journal Sentinel,
2 Dec. 2022
Cite this Entry
“Shoot down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shoot%20down. Accessed 25 Oct. 2025.
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