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
In 2020, Iranian air defense shot down Ukraine International Airlines Flight PS752 with two surface-to-air missiles, killing all 176 people on board.
—
Dallas Morning News, 15 Jan. 2026
Smith also shot down talk of joining the Chiefs’ coaching staff.
—Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 14 Jan. 2026
All of their amendments to the legislation were shot down in the committee.
—Emily Wilkins, CNBC, 14 Jan. 2026
The request for demolition came to the city’s Historic Preservation Commission last month, and was again shot down.
—Molly Morrow, Chicago Tribune, 14 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for shoot down
Dallas Morning News, 15 Jan. 2026
Smith also shot down talk of joining the Chiefs’ coaching staff.
—Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 14 Jan. 2026
All of their amendments to the legislation were shot down in the committee.
—Emily Wilkins, CNBC, 14 Jan. 2026
The request for demolition came to the city’s Historic Preservation Commission last month, and was again shot down.
—Molly Morrow, Chicago Tribune, 14 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for shoot down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shoot down
Verb
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This soft approach is easy to ridicule, but the Europeans have been able to point to some successes since deploying it.—
Thomas Wright,
The Atlantic,
22 Jan. 2026
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Their studies, documentaries and papers are often debunked, ridiculed and dismissed by experts on vaccines and immunology.—
Will Carless,
USA Today,
20 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Mangione's defense team is also trying to get two federal counts against him, including the one that brings the possibility of the death penalty, dismissed.—
Lisa Rozner,
CBS News,
23 Jan. 2026
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Buss reportedly was upset with the way James dismissed his part in pursuing Westbrook and blamed others after the move failed, according to ESPN.—
Janis Carr,
Oc Register,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Councilmember Ted Bui refuted those concerns and maintained his vocal support of adopting a charter.—
Victoria Le,
Oc Register,
24 Jan. 2026
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The lawmakers have refuted those claims, arguing that the probe is an act of political intimidation.—
Elena Moore,
NPR,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Promoted domestically as a tale of peasant uprising, the film later became a cult curiosity abroad, often mocked for its special effects but recognized as one of the country’s most technically ambitious productions.—
Will Ripley,
CNN Money,
21 Jan. 2026
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Some meme makers are admirers of Kirk who want to valorize him; some are neo-Nazis out to mock Kirk for not being extreme enough (while also drawing attention to their cause); some are liberals trying to troll conservatives; many are surely apolitical types having a nonsensical laugh.—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
20 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Autopsy rules Good's death a homicide More than two weeks after she was shot and killed by a federal immigration agent in Minnesota, the Hennepin County medical examiner's office ruled the death of Renee Good a homicide.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
24 Jan. 2026
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With at least 12 people killed, tit is the deadliest in Los Angeles’ history and the third-most destructive ever for the state.—
Michelle Edgar,
Daily News,
24 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The governor has walked a tightrope on the AI question, vetoing a bill last year that would have put strict limits on how AI chatbots can interact with children, and approving a much narrower proposal.—
Kate Wolffe,
Sacbee.com,
9 Jan. 2026
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This will almost certainly raise costs for nonsmokers—as outgoing governor Glenn Youngkin noted in vetoing the bill last year.—
Judge Glock,
Washington Post,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Witnesses claimed Khales, now in Isfahan prison, did not commit a crime but refused to shoot in an act of humanity, the group said.—
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
21 Jan. 2026
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Today, a Luddite is your grandparent who keeps looking at the screen rather than the camera when on Zoom, the Boomer who types in all-capital letters, the grouchy man who refuses to get a smart phone, the professor spewing invective against Twitter, Facebook, and TikTok.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 Jan. 2026
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 28 Jan. 2026.
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