as in prairie
a broad area of level or rolling treeless country
hold a festival on the downs
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in drops
to strike (someone) so forcefully as to cause a fall
downed his opponent with one stunning blow
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in sips
to take into the stomach through the mouth and throat
downing slices of pizza and guzzling bottles of soda
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in dismisses
to reject by or as if by a vote
all attempts to ban indoor smoking had been downed by the town council
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of downs
Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 13 Jan. 2026
The Eagles converted two fourth downs on the possession.
—Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 12 Jan. 2026
He was bailed out on the next play after tight end Dallas Goedert hauled in a pass to extend the drive, but the Eagles eventually turned the ball over on downs.
—Tom Ignudo, CBS News, 12 Jan. 2026
The Chargers turned the ball over on downs.
—Daniel Popper, New York Times, 12 Jan. 2026
The Chargers went 1-for-10 on third downs.
—Lance Reynolds, Boston Herald, 12 Jan. 2026
The Seahawks turned the ball over on downs at the 49ers’ 4-yard line and missed a field goal on two of their first three possessions, leaving the door open for a comeback.
—Michael Nowels, Mercury News, 12 Jan. 2026
The Rams’ defense ended the game by forcing the Panthers to turn over the ball on downs.
—Los Angeles Times, 11 Jan. 2026
Then there was the play that made many scratch their heads — the one when the Carolina Panthers’ game-tying field goal was blocked only for an esoteric NFL rule to award the Panthers with the ball, a new set of downs and great field position.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 9 Nov. 2025
Zoe Collins Rath, Austin American Statesman, 30 Nov. 2025
In between questions about Nineties cultural touchstones like Friends, Space Jam, Beavis and Butthead, the Spice Girls, and Sir-Mix-A-Lot — during which Kravitz racks up a lot of points and Butler downs a lot of shots — the pair also discusses working on Caught Stealing.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 20 Aug. 2025
Noun
Their relationship hasn't been without bumps — the pair briefly split in 2015 — but the couple has managed to weather the ups and downs.
—Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 13 Jan. 2026
The Eagles converted two fourth downs on the possession.
—Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 12 Jan. 2026
He was bailed out on the next play after tight end Dallas Goedert hauled in a pass to extend the drive, but the Eagles eventually turned the ball over on downs.
—Tom Ignudo, CBS News, 12 Jan. 2026
The Chargers turned the ball over on downs.
—Daniel Popper, New York Times, 12 Jan. 2026
The Chargers went 1-for-10 on third downs.
—Lance Reynolds, Boston Herald, 12 Jan. 2026
The Seahawks turned the ball over on downs at the 49ers’ 4-yard line and missed a field goal on two of their first three possessions, leaving the door open for a comeback.
—Michael Nowels, Mercury News, 12 Jan. 2026
The Rams’ defense ended the game by forcing the Panthers to turn over the ball on downs.
—Los Angeles Times, 11 Jan. 2026
Then there was the play that made many scratch their heads — the one when the Carolina Panthers’ game-tying field goal was blocked only for an esoteric NFL rule to award the Panthers with the ball, a new set of downs and great field position.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 9 Nov. 2025
Verb
But Sarah Graves gives a bit too much room and Penn downs a 3-pointeron the wing.
—Zoe Collins Rath, Austin American Statesman, 30 Nov. 2025
In between questions about Nineties cultural touchstones like Friends, Space Jam, Beavis and Butthead, the Spice Girls, and Sir-Mix-A-Lot — during which Kravitz racks up a lot of points and Butler downs a lot of shots — the pair also discusses working on Caught Stealing.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 20 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for downs
Noun
-
He is seen surrounded by an ocean of brown prairie grass, gone dormant for the winter.—
Lisa Gutierrez,
Kansas City Star,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Wetlands in the area are also home to Everglades snail kites, which hunt for apple snails in freshwater marshes, and other rare species that once inhabited vast wet prairies drained for highways and neighborhoods.—
Jenny Staletovich,
Miami Herald,
24 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Cover outdoor spigots Before the temperature drops below freezing, open outdoor spigots briefly to drain residual water.—
Alexis Simmerman,
Austin American Statesman,
23 Jan. 2026
-
How to keep your pipes from freezing Frozen pipes are a nightmare to deal with when the temperature drops, but it can be prevented.—
Katie Landeck,
The Providence Journal,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Lindsay Lohan sips on a tasty treat to kick off the 3rd Annual Betch of the Year with Dunkin'.—
Toria Sheffield,
PEOPLE,
3 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Yet this gloss dismisses something that might be better understood as a guiding principle, and suggests that criticism of Israel is an idealist’s liability rather than a stance with growing support among Democratic voters.—
Molly Fischer,
New Yorker,
21 Jan. 2026
-
Leadership that dismisses or undermines inclusion inflicts real harm on students, faculty, and staff.—
Wanda James,
Denver Post,
13 Jan. 2026
Noun
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There, Patagonia stretches out into wide skies, windswept pampas, turquoise lakes, and towering ice fields.—
Eric Sheets,
Travel + Leisure,
5 Dec. 2025
-
The earthy palette of browns, pampa greens, and guanaco beiges further enhances the collection’s life-in-the-great-outdoors vibe, only occasionally countered with pops of vivid blue and black.—
Martino Carrera,
Footwear News,
18 Nov. 2025
Verb
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But each release specifies exactly which warehouse and even which floors the barrels for a particular batch were matured, which is similar to Hardin’s Creek.—
Jonah Flicker,
Robb Report,
13 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Because of that, engineers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have designed a pill that confirms when someone swallows it.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
25 Jan. 2026
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There is also something about a theme park that swallows you up.—
Kimberly Zapata,
Parents,
19 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Bystander videos, like the ones taken of Pretti, have played a key role for decades in informing the public when law enforcement kills or injures people.—
Ava Berger,
NPR,
28 Jan. 2026
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The film follows a quiet inmate arriving at a violent Indonesian prison with a supernatural entity that kills those with the darkest auras.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
27 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Downs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/downs. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
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