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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And Tucker Carlson has gained attention with his own programming distributed via social and digital media, Their audiences can be smaller and more disparate than the ones that come to mainstream news outlets, but in an era of cord-cutting, their niche power is not to be dismissed.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
9 Oct. 2025
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In February, following a SAG Award win for her breakout role in Shōgun, Anna Sawai dismissed rumors that she had been cast as Yoko Ono for the film series.—
Sophie Williams,
Billboard,
9 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
-
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
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How many people did Ed Gein kill in real life?—
JR Radcliffe,
jsonline.com,
6 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The governor has until next Monday, October 13, at midnight to sign or veto the remaining legislation on his desk.—
Kate Wolffe
October 9,
Sacbee.com,
9 Oct. 2025
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The Independent reports that her mother ultimately vetoed the job and the role went to Linda Blair.—
Virginia Chamlee,
PEOPLE,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
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What isn’t known — and what university and fraternity officials have refused to discuss — is what happened in the basement of the three-story house in the 1300 block of West Campus Road, before the young man lost consciousness.—
Judy L. Thomas,
Kansas City Star,
9 Oct. 2025
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Thomas, alas, can refuse any trade after taking the qualifying offer this summer and will be an unrestricted free agent in 2026.—
John Hollinger,
New York Times,
8 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 12 Oct. 2025.
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