as in to dismiss
to express scornfully one's low opinion of
belittled the action star's acting ability
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of belittle
Tim Scott of South Carolina and Rick Scott of Florida belittled the governor.
—
Taryn Luna, Los Angeles Times, 24 Feb. 2026
Morin says these conversations can strengthen a healthy relationship, or point out flaws in an unhealthy one, such as if your partner fails to take you seriously or belittles your feelings.
—Alyssa Goldberg, USA Today, 20 Feb. 2026
Catherine cannot stand the idea and starts to belittle Isabella, all while reconnecting with her friend.
—Amanda Luberto, AZCentral.com, 11 Feb. 2026
Link was captured on Ring camera footage mocking and belittling Jimenez after shooting him, prosecutors say.
—Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 5 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for belittle
Taryn Luna, Los Angeles Times, 24 Feb. 2026
Morin says these conversations can strengthen a healthy relationship, or point out flaws in an unhealthy one, such as if your partner fails to take you seriously or belittles your feelings.
—Alyssa Goldberg, USA Today, 20 Feb. 2026
Catherine cannot stand the idea and starts to belittle Isabella, all while reconnecting with her friend.
—Amanda Luberto, AZCentral.com, 11 Feb. 2026
Link was captured on Ring camera footage mocking and belittling Jimenez after shooting him, prosecutors say.
—Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 5 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for belittle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for belittle
Verb
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Authorities had since dismissed her lawyers’ requests to send her to a hospital for urgent treatment.—
Cora Engelbrecht,
New Yorker,
3 Apr. 2026
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There is a long history of women's pain being dismissed by doctors, incorrectly categorized as period pain or rooted in psychological distress.—
Madeline Mitchell,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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There is a commitment to that philosophy, even as there is a determination to minimize bad outcomes as much as is humanly possible.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Mar. 2026
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By generating electricity from fuel during flight and switching to a quieter electric mode when required, the system allows smaller drones to extend their operational range while minimizing noise and thermal signatures.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Together, the potential departures of two of Kansas City’s most experienced lawmakers — one on his own terms, one forced — could play a role in shaping the city’s future and diminish its ability to secure local priorities at the federal level.—
Kacen Bayless,
Kansas City Star,
1 Apr. 2026
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Some of the gags are inspired, some are exasperating, none of them are presented in a way that suggests the filmmakers know the difference, and all of them are shoved down your throat until they’re diminished enough to swallow.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Trump administration officials were quick to side with the officers who killed Good and Pretti, also making disparaging remarks about the two Minnesotans and accusing them of attempting to carry out domestic terrorism in their interactions with immigration authorities.—
Rebecca Beitsch,
The Hill,
24 Mar. 2026
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Andrew Nixon, a spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services, directed STAT to Roll Call, which first reported the news, where officials acknowledged Malone’s departure and defended Nixon against disparaging comments by Malone.—
Chelsea Cirruzzo,
STAT,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Villaraigosa acknowledged the allegations against Chavez complicate and denigrate his legacy as both a civil rights leader and a man.—
Stephanie Elam,
CNN Money,
21 Mar. 2026
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But unlike men who exploited humoral theory and biblical myths to denigrate women’s bodies and minds, Hildegard valorized the contribution of female difference to nature’s grand scheme.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Two advisers to Qatar told me that Global Risk had also conducted background checks and written reports on people linked to campaigns criticizing Qatar; corporate-intelligence firms often provide such open-source research.—
David D. Kirkpatrick,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
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However, in a pair of letters to the editor published in the Journal of Pediatrics, doctors criticized the article as hyped.—
David Hilzenrath,
USA Today,
29 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Belittle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/belittle. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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