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
However, despite his continuing comedic chemistry with his former onscreen brother, Romano shot down any hope of a potential Raymond revival earlier this year.
—
Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 1 Oct. 2025
Schumer on Monday shot down talk about Senate Democrats proposing a weeklong or 10-day government funding bill to buy more time for the two sides to continue talking.
—Alexander Bolton, The Hill, 30 Sep. 2025
Only law enforcement authorities can take action against drones, said Ryan Calo, a University of Washington law professor and robotics law expert, as shooting down drones can be dangerous to people or property.
—Nushrat Rahman, Freep.com, 29 Sep. 2025
By war’s end, Gabreski had shot down 28 German planes, more than any other American pilot.
—Angus Fletcher, Big Think, 29 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shoot down
Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 1 Oct. 2025
Schumer on Monday shot down talk about Senate Democrats proposing a weeklong or 10-day government funding bill to buy more time for the two sides to continue talking.
—Alexander Bolton, The Hill, 30 Sep. 2025
Only law enforcement authorities can take action against drones, said Ryan Calo, a University of Washington law professor and robotics law expert, as shooting down drones can be dangerous to people or property.
—Nushrat Rahman, Freep.com, 29 Sep. 2025
By war’s end, Gabreski had shot down 28 German planes, more than any other American pilot.
—Angus Fletcher, Big Think, 29 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shoot down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shoot down
Verb
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The show opened with a skit mocking Hegseth, portrayed by comedian Colin Jost, ridiculing the Defense Secretary's address to military leaders in Quantico, Virginia, last week.—
Chandelis Duster,
NPR,
5 Oct. 2025
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She was ridiculed in online forums and on at least one radio show, and dismissed by a Michigan State Police dispatcher who likely didn't even send out a patrol car.—
NEAL RUBIN,
Freep.com,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Seven of those charged previously pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor and prosecutors moved to dismiss their felony counts.—
Quinlan Bentley,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
2 Oct. 2025
-
Olguin dismissed the case in 2022 after finding Elden’s claims were time-barred without addressing the substance of his allegations.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
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When rumors flew in the colonies that Franklin had personally designed the Stamp Act, William refuted the charges.—
Stacy Schiff,
The Atlantic,
8 Oct. 2025
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Strowman quickly refuted this claim on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.—
Andrew Ravens,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The drama was followed by another housemate, George, being evicted after mocking gay housemate Sam.—
Mathew Rodriguez,
Them.,
8 Oct. 2025
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The new video is part of a pattern in which DHS has increasingly deployed memes to mock migrants and popular culture.—
Billal Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Tom is torn between loyalty to his dead wife and love for the estranged son who killed her.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
6 Oct. 2025
-
How many people did Ed Gein kill in real life?—
JR Radcliffe,
jsonline.com,
6 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Jones wrote, urging Newsom to veto the bill.—
Lia Russell,
Sacbee.com,
2 Oct. 2025
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DeWine signed the budget bill in June, but vetoed 67 provisions which would have provided immediate property tax relief to homeowners.—
Giulia Carbonaro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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My adoptive parents had refused to allow contact or send pictures, and didn’t tell me about her attempt to communicate with us for years after the fact.—
Nicole Chung,
The Atlantic,
2 Oct. 2025
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Federal officials refused to return him, accusing him of being a gang member, despite judges’ orders that he should be sent back to the United States.—
Eduardo Cuevas,
USA Today,
2 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 9 Oct. 2025.
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