talk down
verbDefinition of talk down
: to speak in a condescending or oversimplified fashion
: to disparage or belittle by talking
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Synonyms & Antonyms for talk down
Synonyms
bad-mouth, belittle, cry down, decry, denigrate, deprecate, depreciate, derogate, diminish, discount, dismiss, disparage, kiss off, minimize, play down, put down, run down, vilipend, write off
Antonyms
acclaim, applaud, exalt, extol (also extoll), glorify, laud, magnify, praise
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Examples of talk down in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The players actively talked down their chances in a bid to project an air of humility. — Jonathan Clegg, WSJ, "The World Cup’s Biggest Upset: England Wins on Penalties," 3 July 2018 Winfrey, a cultural icon, has talked down the possibility since, but some Democrats continue to stoke the idea of having a global celebrity of their own as a foil to Trump, the former reality TV star and media mogul turned Republican president. — John Wagner, chicagotribune.com, "Oprah Winfrey says a 2020 presidential run 'would kill me'," 3 July 2018 What a big man talking down to couple of women and a helpless employee. — Christopher Brito, CBS News, ""It's America": Video of man's racist tirade at NYC restaurant goes viral," 17 May 2018 The suicidal male eventually was talked down from the ledge of the bridge, the Detroit Free Press reports. — Cliff Pinckard, cleveland.com, "Trucks form line under Michigan overpass to prevent suicide," 25 Apr. 2018 Croatia and Sweden have both defied expectations, while England has repeatedly talked down its chances but now has an expectant nation back home believing its time has come again under head coach Gareth Southgate. — Martin Rogers, USA TODAY, "The chances a long-suffering nation wins the World Cup is greater than normal," 4 July 2018 Perry also cited an alternate juror who said the prosecution talked down to the jurors and didn’t show respect for them. — Hal Boedeker, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Casey Anthony: Judge praises Jose Baez," 24 June 2018 This is not the first time an image of German Chancellor Angela Merkel literally talking down to an American president has made the rounds online. — Andrew Katz, Time, "A Single Photo Captured President Trump's Approach to the G7 Summit," 10 June 2018 What a big man talking down to couple of women and a helpless employee. — Christopher Brito, CBS News, ""It's America": Video of man's racist tirade at NYC restaurant goes viral," 17 May 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'talk down.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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