belittles

verb

present tense third-person singular of belittle
as in dismisses
to express scornfully one's low opinion of belittled the action star's acting ability

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of belittles Meanwhile, Adelaide’s grandmother belittles the pianoforte the girl pines for, calling it an expensive toy. — Heller McAlpin, Christian Science Monitor, 16 Oct. 2026 Will’s obsessive, put-upon mother, Susan (Tandi Wright), belittles Alice, dresses her down for her attire at the funeral, and forces her to wear heels that don’t fit, leaving her feet bloody. — Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 10 July 2026 Trump, on the other hand, belittles and degrades people every day. — Chicago Tribune, 20 June 2026 Tanya Reynolds offers a broader glimpse of Caroline Bingley, a character who often belittles Mary. — Emily Zemler, Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 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 But there are many people with a voice that belittles them. — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 12 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for belittles
  1. dismisses
  2. diminishes
  3. minimizes
  4. criticizes
  5. disparages
  6. denigrates
Verb
  • The incumbent's campaign dismisses the Democratic push as the last-ditch effort of a campaign that will fall short.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 25 Oct. 2026
  • Ben-Gvir dismisses concerns that such policies would cement Israel’s status as a pariah state.
    — Eric Cortellessa, Time, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of dismisses
Verb
  • For Republicans, a lot rides on whether Tuesday’s balloting substantially diminishes their ranks.
    — Nicholas Wu, semafor.com, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Splitting such communities into multiple districts diminishes their representation in the democratic process.
    — Dan Lipinski, Baltimore Sun, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of diminishes
Verb
  • The framing minimizes the conduct at the center of the controversy.
    — Bobby Burack OutKick, FOXNews.com, 23 Oct. 2026
  • It's also supported by Nvidia's G-Sync and AMD FreeSync Premium, which also minimizes gameplay latency, ensuring responsive feedback.
    — George Yang, PC Magazine, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of minimizes
Verb
  • Cervera, who often publicly criticizes school district decisions, defends his criticism of Fernandez.
    — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 30 Oct. 2026
  • At an October debate, Bass pointed out that Raman, as chair of the city council’s housing and homelessness committee, had repeatedly approved spending on Inside Safe, the very program Raman now criticizes as expensive and insufficiently accountable.
    — Maxwell Adler, Vanity Fair, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of criticizes
Verb
  • But if a broadcaster publicly questions or disparages the viability of candidates, especially the front-runner, as Kevin Collins did on social media during BC’s search process, employers keep those receipts and consequences should be no surprise.
    — Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Still, Kennedy disparages germ theory and attempts to undermine it with shaky arguments.
    — Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 23 Apr. 2026
Definition of disparages
Verb
  • For an administration that famously denigrates Chicago, Friday was a notably good day for federal money for the city’s historic status as a rail hub.
    — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 20 Aug. 2026
  • These two characters have maybe two minutes of screentime between them, and yet a certain portion of the internet, and Elon Musk, have raged, gnashed teeth and howled to the wind about the way this denigrates a Greek classic.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026
Definition of denigrates

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Cite this Entry

“Belittles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/belittles. Accessed 31 Oct. 2026.

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