down 1 of 6

Definition of downnext
1
as in downward
toward or in a lower position the stairs went down to the basement

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
as in away
from this or that place came down from New York for the weekend

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down

2 of 6

adjective

1
2
as in lowered
directed down a down escalator

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3
as in depressed
feeling unhappiness feeling a bit down

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4
5
6

down

3 of 6

noun (1)

as in fur
a soft airy substance or covering a comforter filled with goose down

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down

4 of 6

noun (2)

1
as in accident
something (as a situation or event) that is depressing lately it's been one down after another in my life

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2
3
4
as in drop
the act or process of going to a lower level or altitude suffered with a psychological disorder in which she alternated between emotional ups and downs

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5

down

5 of 6

noun (3)

down

6 of 6

verb

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 down
Adverb
Other names linked to OpenAI also saw significant sell-offs, including cloud computing providers CoreWeave, down 6%, and Oracle, down 4%. Rob Wile, NBC news, 28 Apr. 2026 Assistant Hobart Fire Chief Shawn Millard said trees and power lines were down across the city but there were no reports of injuries. Post-Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
To be fair, Amazon is up 26% this month, so a down day after a big move should be expected. Jeff Marks, CNBC, 27 Apr. 2026 The unit hopes for development out of 2024 first-round pick Chop Robinson as Hafley’s will go to more looks with four down linemen. David Furones, Sun Sentinel, 25 Apr. 2026
Noun
After the children moved into the backseat of the patrol car, Banner made his way over to a small sedan facing nose-down in the raging floodwaters. Abigail Adams, PEOPLE, 30 Apr. 2026 Meanwhile, jet black and reddened brown add intensity to the neutral palette, particularly when applied to dark bases with wash-downs. Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 30 Apr. 2026
Verb
In Georgia alone, 13,954 square miles of forest land was hit by Hurricane Helene, downing more than 26 million tons of pine and 30 million tons of hardwood, according to a November 2024 University of Georgia and Georgia Forestry Commission timber damage assessment. Seth Borenstein, Los Angeles Times, 26 Apr. 2026 The power-play disparity has been the difference, much like in the first round in 2023 when Dallas downed Minnesota in six games. CBS News, 26 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for down
Adverb
  • Sound mitigation measures — including berms and acoustic treatment — would be incorporated to control noise levels, and exterior lighting would be shielded and directed downward to prevent glare or spillover into surrounding properties.
    Taylor O'Connor, Kansas City Star, 30 Apr. 2026
  • Car loan rates, too, have been inching downward.
    Rachel Barber, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2026
Adverb
  • The warning applies to residents of 11 towns and villages in southern Lebanon, according to Reuters, telling them to evacuate their homes and move at least 3,300 feet away to open areas.
    Christopher Cann, USA Today, 4 May 2026
  • Tobias Harris – a name that still echoes uncomfortably in Orlando – poured in 30 points, adding another layer of irony to a franchise that once traded him away for essentially nothing.
    Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 May 2026
Adjective
  • Working at the theater gave Burnett an up-close education in moviegoing culture at the time.
    Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 26 Apr. 2026
  • The Times will be on-site from Friday to Sunday to bring you an up-close view of what’s happening in the desert.
    Evan Schaben, Los Angeles Times, 25 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • For video, the Avata 360 supports a standard color profile with the same naturally vibrant tones as its JPGs, or a 10-bit flat D-Log M profile with lowered contrast and saturation.
    Jim Fisher, PC Magazine, 21 Apr. 2026
  • Dethleffs had to be particularly creative with the toilet room, walling off a private space separate from the remainder of the open floor plan that fits in below the lowered roof.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 21 Jan. 2026
Adjective
  • Researchers believe inbreeding led to depressed survival rates in pups.
    CBS News, CBS News, 27 Apr. 2026
  • Sam is very depressed and feels lonely and isolated.
    Staff Author, PEOPLE, 25 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • Oceanwide Expeditions, the Dutch company that operates the ship, said the two sick people on board were crew members who required urgent medical are.
    CBS News, CBS News, 4 May 2026
  • There are 88 passengers — including one who has died — and 61 crew members, two of whom are sick, onboard, the operator said Monday.
    ABC News, ABC News, 4 May 2026
Adjective
  • Mondays are a universal off day in the minor leagues.
    Chandler Rome, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2026
  • Vrabel addressed the Patriots about his off-field issues last Monday during the first day of the team’s offseason workout program.
    Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • Soft white sand, clear waters and excellent surf draw beachgoers to this vast beach.
    Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 30 Apr. 2026
  • This makes buffalo grass an excellent choice for naturally controlling soil erosion.
    Lee Wallender, The Spruce, 30 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/down. Accessed 6 May. 2026.

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